Buyers ask about the canton fair 2026 dates as though the fair were one event with one start and one finish. It is not. The autumn session runs as three separate five day phases with three day gaps between them, each selling a different set of goods. Arrive in the wrong week and the halls are full of goods you do not buy. Here is the structure, and how to pick a phase.
The honest answer about the canton fair 2026 dates
The 140th session of the China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, runs from 15 October to 4 November 2026: fifteen exhibition days, split into three phases of five days each. The days come from the fair’s own buyer guide and two Ministry of Commerce postings.
Three phases, not one long fair
Each phase has a theme and its own exhibitors. Phase 1 is Advanced Manufacturing, Phase 2 is Quality Home Living, Phase 3 is Better Life. Between phases the halls are emptied and rebuilt, so exhibitors from one phase are not in the building for the next. That is what buyers miss when they read the canton fair 2026 dates as one block of time.
Why the official website may still show the previous session
The buyer guide carried the October days months before the homepage did, so spring dates on the site are stale data rather than a contradiction. Treat hall counts, opening hours and entry fees found on blogs as unconfirmed. For background, see the Wikipedia entry on the trade fair.
Canton Fair 2026 dates and the gaps between the phases
Here is the sequence, gaps included. The fair does not call them rest days. Its wording is time for booth dismantling and setup.
- Phase 1, 15 to 19 October 2026. Advanced Manufacturing: machinery, vehicles, electronics, appliances, hardware, tools, new energy.
- Changeover, 20 to 22 October 2026. Halls closed. Phase 1 comes down, Phase 2 goes up.
- Phase 2, 23 to 27 October 2026. Quality Home Living: ceramics, kitchenware, furniture, home decoration, building materials, gifts.
- Changeover, 28 to 30 October 2026. Halls closed again for the same reason.
- Phase 3, 31 October to 4 November 2026. Better Life: clothing, shoes, bags, toys, baby goods, home textiles, food, pet products.
The changeover days are closed days
Three days sit between phases, and the halls are shut on all of them. If your categories fall in two phases you either fly home and come back or spend three days in Guangzhou with no fair on. Budget them at the planning stage.
No short trip covers all three phases
Phase 1 ends on 19 October and Phase 3 does not open until 31 October, so seeing all three means close to three weeks in China. Few bulk buyers need that. Read the canton fair 2026 dates against your purchase list, pick the phase carrying most of it, and use the rest of the time elsewhere.
What each phase sells and how to choose one
Write your product list first, then assign every line to a phase. An importer buying ceramic tableware and bed linen finds the ceramics in Phase 2 and the textiles in Phase 3: a two phase list. The fair also runs extra zones, service robots and intelligent healthcare among them, so check the official site for changes.
| Phase | Dates in 2026 | Theme | Categories most bulk buyers want |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 15 to 19 October | Advanced Manufacturing | Machinery, vehicles, electronics, appliances, hardware, tools, lighting |
| Phase 2 | 23 to 27 October | Quality Home Living | Ceramics, kitchenware, furniture, home decoration, building materials, gifts |
| Phase 3 | 31 October to 4 November | Better Life | Clothing, shoes, bags, toys, baby goods, home textiles, food, pet products |
An event twice a year against a market open all year
The fair is an event. Yiwu International Trade City is a permanent wholesale market, five districts and more than 75,000 booths, open through the working year. At the fair, a sample you did not collect is gone when the phase closes, and a December reorder has to be arranged remotely. In a permanent market the seller is at the same booth in December. Our Yiwu market map guide shows how the districts are laid out.
The venue and the city
All three phases use the same building: the China Import and Export Fair Complex, No. 382 Yuejiang Zhong Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou. Overseas buyers pre-register through the official Buyer Service System, open year round. The invitation letter used for a visa and the buyer badge are free.
Where this needs a person on the ground
Everything above is the calendar: the canton fair 2026 dates, the phases, the categories, the venue. What this article does not do is turn that calendar into your trip. Which phase your product list belongs in, and how a Yiwu leg fits around the fair week, depend on someone standing in the market.
Pioneer Group attends the Canton Fair, and we are based in Yiwu, which is the other half of most buying trips. The Yiwu leg is the part we run end to end: sourcing, airport pickup, a warehouse that receives from many booths, quality inspection in three stages with photo and video reports, consolidation and shipping. Which of the five districts matches your products, which floors, and in what order to walk them so two days are not spent riding escalators. Who receives cartons bought from a dozen sellers, holds them in a warehouse in Yiwu, inspects them at raw material, in-production and pre-shipment stages, and consolidates them into one shipment. Commission is 3 to 5 percent by order quantity with no hidden markup, and minimum order value is US$5,000.
If you are weighing the two, start with Yiwu market against the Canton Fair, then send us the product list and we will plan the Yiwu half.
Frequently asked questions
What are the canton fair 2026 dates?
The 140th session runs in three phases: 15 to 19 October, 23 to 27 October, and 31 October to 4 November 2026. The halls close to buyers on 20 to 22 October and 28 to 30 October.
Can I cover all three phases in one visit?
Yes, but it takes about three weeks because of the two changeover gaps. Most bulk buyers pick the phase carrying their categories.
Which phase should a mixed-category buyer choose?
Pick the phase that carries most of your list, then use the changeover days for the categories it does not cover. A buyer whose range spans home goods and clothing usually takes Phase 2 and returns for Phase 3 rather than trying to hold both in one trip.
How Pioneer Group can help
Phase dates decide which categories you actually get to see. Our team visits the fair and covers what your phase misses from Yiwu, matching your product list against a network of more than 5,000 factories.
- Sourcing. Access to 5,000+ factories from an office in Yiwu, so you deal with the maker instead of a reseller.
- Quality inspection. Three stages, raw material, in production and pre shipment, with photo and video reports.
- Consolidation and shipping. Orders from many booths received at one warehouse and loaded as a single shipment.
Commission is 3 to 5 percent by order quantity, paid by you and never by the factory, with no hidden markup on the goods. Minimum order value is US$5,000. We reply within 2 hours during China business hours, in English, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Turkish or French.
Talk to us: WhatsApp +86 190 2577 9716, info@pioneergptrading.com, or the contact form.
Pioneer Group is a China sourcing agent based in Yiwu, China, helping wholesale and bulk buyers source, inspect, consolidate, and ship orders from China.
