The 139th Canton Fair wrapped up in Guangzhou on 5 May, drawing a record 314,000 international buyers from 220 countries and regions – up 1.1 percent year-on-year – in a result that underlines the enduring appeal of China’s flagship trade event despite ongoing global trade pressures.
The scale of this year’s fair was unprecedented. The exhibition covered 1.55 million square metres across 75,700 booths, with over 32,000 participating companies, around 3,900 of which were making their debut. The fair also welcomed 407 leading global retail giants and 154 international business organisations, further cementing its role as a cornerstone of the global supply chain.
For Guangzhou participants specifically, the results were particularly strong. ASEAN buyers who expressed an intention to place an order increased by 23.3 percent year-on-year, reflecting a broader shift in trade flows as manufacturers and buyers across Southeast Asia deepen ties with Chinese suppliers amid ongoing US tariff uncertainty.
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The fair ran in three phases from 15 April to 5 May, held at the Canton Fair Pazhou complex in Haizhu District, Guangzhou. The first phase focused on advanced manufacturing, the second on quality home life, and the third on consumer goods, including textiles and garments. The first phase alone set a record, attracting 167,000 buyers, the highest figure for any opening phase in the fair’s history.
The results sit against a strong broader trade backdrop. China’s foreign trade of goods reached 11.84 trillion yuan in the first quarter of 2026, up 15 percent year-on-year. Zhu Yong, director of the China Foreign Trade Centre, said that even as the external environment becomes more uncertain, the Canton Fair has only become more vibrant, a reflection of global confidence in China’s industrial and supply chain.
Held twice a year, the Canton Fair – officially the China Import and Export Fair – has been running since 1957 and remains the world’s largest and longest-running international trade exhibition.
