Canton Fair 2027: A Planning Guide for Travel Agents

The Canton Fair is the trip that trade clients book whether or not their agent sells it. For agents in India, the Gulf, Africa and Central Asia, it is also the easiest way into China product: the dates are fixed, the purpose is clear, and the client has a business reason to travel. This guide covers how to build the trip properly.

How the fair is structured

The fair runs twice a year in Guangzhou, in spring and autumn, at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Pazhou. Each session is split into three five-day phases by product sector, with three days between them while exhibitors change over. The halls stay the same; the exhibitors change completely.

The 140th session ran from 15 October to 4 November 2026: phase 1 from 15 to 19 October, phase 2 from 23 to 27 October, phase 3 from 31 October to 4 November.

The phase is chosen by product, not by date. Broadly, phase 1 covers electronics, machinery, vehicles, hardware and energy; phase 2 home goods, gifts, furniture, ceramics and building materials; phase 3 textiles, fashion, toys, health and food. Check the organiser’s category list for the session before quoting.

2027 dates: expected, not confirmed

At the time of writing, the organiser had not published the 141st session calendar. Based on the long-running pattern, spring 2027 is expected to run:

• Phase 1: 15–19 April 2027
• Phase 2: 23–27 April 2027
• Phase 3: 1–5 May 2027

Use these to hold hotels on flexible terms. Do not sell non-refundable flights until the official notice is out.

Hotels decide the trip

Hotel rates near Pazhou rise sharply during each phase, and the well-located rooms go first. Book the hotel as soon as the client knows the phase, with metro access to Line 8 (Xingangdong or Pazhou) or Line 11 (Pazhou). At opening and closing time the metro is more predictable than road traffic.

Badges and entry

First-time buyers pre-register online and collect a buyer badge; returning buyers bring the badge they already have. For the client’s China entry: business visits are covered by 30-day visa-free entry for unilateral and mutual-exemption passports. Indian, Nigerian, Kenyan and other visa-required buyers need the right visa, with hotel confirmations and an itinerary to support the application.

Interpreters and factory days

Many exhibitors speak some English. An interpreter still changes the outcome of a negotiation, and is essential for factory visits and follow-up. A standard programme spends two fair days in the halls and a third day in Foshan, Guangzhou’s neighbouring manufacturing city, for furniture, ceramics, lighting or household goods, matched to the exhibitors the client met at the fair.

Add Yiwu for small commodities

For buyers of small commodities, Yiwu’s International Trade City is the natural second stop: a short flight from Guangzhou, open year-round outside the Chinese New Year shutdown, and organised in districts by product type. Two nights is usually enough.

Operational checklist

• Choose the phase by the client’s product category first.
• Book fair-week hotels with metro access before anything else.
• Hold flexible flights until the 2027 session notice is published.
• Pre-register first-time buyers for their badge.
• Confirm visa route by passport; supply documents for visa-required buyers.
• Book interpreters for fair days, factory visits and Yiwu.
• Plan halal and vegetarian dining: easy in Guangzhou and Yiwu, but fix it before you price.

See the full Canton Fair & Sourcing itinerary and the Guangzhou and Yiwu guides.