The 138th Canton Fair demonstrated the resilience and vitality of China’s foreign trade, offering global cooperation to advance economic and technological development.
Overseas buyers traveled far to be part of the event. A total of over 310,000 overseas buyers from 223 countries and regions attended this session, an increase of 7.5% compared with the previous session, hitting a new high. Among them, 214,000 buyers were from BRI countries, registering a 9.4% rise and accounting for 69% of the total. Buyers from the EU, the Middle East, the United States and South America showed significant growth of 32.7%, 13.9%, 14% and 33.2% respectively. 158 industrial and business organizations attended this session, up by 12%. 550 buyer delegations also attended onsite, including 406 leading enterprises such as Target from the U.S., Carrefour from France and Nitori from Japan, up by 7.9%. Overseas buyers stated: “the Canton Fair offers not only products, but also certainty. China’s industrial and supply chains cannot be replaced.”
“Exchange” - program for efficient matchmaking
The high international attendance shows in increased orders. The intended export transaction reached onsite of this session amounted to 25.65 billion US dollars, maintaining upward momentum. The export volume with Belt and Road countries accounted for 60%, and deals with traditional markets remained stable. Exhibitors said that “the Canton Fair is a prime venue teeming with opportunities and high-quality leads—the optimal platform for cementing long-standing partnerships, forging new ones and expanding into fresh markets. Many buyers have already visited or will visit factories. More deals are expected to be reached.”
Momentum for technology
Exhibiting enterprises pursued innovation, intelligence and environment protection in materials, craftsmanship and supply chains. New and green products and products with independent intellectual property rights accounted for 23.3%, 23.5% and 23.9% of the total 4.6 million products respectively. AI empowerment, innovative and intelligent manufacturing, low-carbon and high-end customization were the key words throughout three phases. Humanoid robots, brain-computer interface devices, plastic-free home furnishings, bio-based materials, AI-assisted rehabilitation devices and 3D printing were the most popular exhibits. 632 Canton Fair New Collection product launch activities and Canton Fair Design Award created a platform for global debuts of Chinese premium goods. Buyers gave rave review: “Made in China is a symbol of high quality, and we can see the future here.” The media commented: “The fair is transforming from a traditional barometer to an accelerator for the development of new quality productive forces.”
The integration of digital and intelligent technology has improved the experience of badge application, exhibition navigation, business talks, and matchmaking. Adopted for the first time, QR code badge can be issued within 30 seconds, which is six-fold faster than before. Enabled by Bluetooth, 5G, and BDS, China’s first booth-level smart navigation was put into use. Devices like AI guide and smart way finder were upgraded to offer “one-touch navigation and one-code info consultation” which were used 477,000 times. The Canton Fair APP has additional download of 415,000 times, helping onsite business talks and transaction. The fair also adopted AI-aided drawing review with accuracy rate over 80%. Overseas buyers expressed: “The Canton Fair has become a window for global businessmen to perceive Chinese intelligence.”
“Spotlight” on China
More than 1,700 journalists participated in the coverage of this session. Focusing on the fair’s reform and effects, and its orientation towards innovation, intelligence and green development, over 19,000 domestic and foreign media platforms released more than 2.06 million news which generated a total of 194 million views on overseas social media and news media. Through texts, photos, videos, live streams and exclusive interviews, media presented a panoramic view of the fair.
The 139th Canton Fair will be held in Guangzhou from April 15th to May 5th, 2026 and invites global exhibitors and buyers to meet again.
