The Status of the 2026 Canton Fair: A Grand Showcase of China’s Foreign Trade

The 139th Canton Fair, held from April 15 to May 5, 2026, in Guangzhou, has demonstrated the strong vitality of China’s foreign – trade.

Record – breaking Scale

The fair covered an area of 1.55 million square meters, with 75,700 booths and over 32,000 participating enterprises, all reaching record highs. By April 9, the pre – registered overseas buyers exceeded 210,000, an increase of 20% year – on – year. On the first day of the opening, more than 70,000 overseas buyers attended the offline exhibition.

Diverse Exhibits and New Zones

The number of exhibition zones increased to 179, including 9 new sections such as smart wearables, display technologies, and consumer drones. Among the more than 4.65 million exhibits on – site, new products, green products, and products with independent intellectual property rights accounted for 23%, 22%, and 25% respectively. This reflects China’s transformation to high – tech and green manufacturing.

Active Participation of High – quality Enterprises

There were more than 11,000 high – quality enterprises with the title of “specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative” or national manufacturing champions, an increase of 5.1% year – on – year. These enterprises are leading the transformation from “product – selling” to “solution – providing”. For example, Dongguan Ousike Optoelectronics reached 10 intended orders worth 5 million yuan on the first day of the exhibition.

High – profile First – phase Closure

After the first – phase exhibition closed, 167,000 overseas buyers from 216 countries and regions attended the meeting, an increase of 5.9% compared with the same period of the previous session. 123 overseas business institutions and 197 global leading enterprises formed groups to participate in the meeting, increasing by 4.2% and 6.5% respectively.

Transformation of Exhibiting Enterprises

More than one – third of the participating enterprises are transforming from simply exporting products to providing “product + service” system solutions. Nearly 20% of the participating enterprises have carried out foreign investment, contributing more than 200,000 overseas job opportunities. This “integration of trade and investment” model is reshaping the partnership between Chinese enterprises and global customers.

The 2026 Canton Fair is not only a grand gathering of trade, but also a window to show the transformation and upgrading of China’s foreign – trade, injecting strong impetus into the global economy.