Three phases and only one of them is yours
The October 2026 edition runs in three phases at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, each phase covering a different set of product categories. The full schedule is in the table below. Booking a week at random therefore has a two-in-three chance of missing your own category entirely and it happens to first-time buyers every session.
The second trap is the calendar behind the calendar. A buyer badge is issued on registration, but the invitation letter many nationalities need for a Chinese business visa takes time to request and visa appointments stack up in September. Hotels near the complex raise prices and sell out for the good weeks. The buyers who arrive relaxed arranged all of this in August. The ones who start late spend their first fair day in queues.
| Phase | Dates | Product categories |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 15 to 19 October 2026 | Electronics, machinery, appliances, lighting, vehicles, hardware, tools |
| Phase 2 | 23 to 27 October 2026 | Household goods, kitchenware, ceramics, decoration, furniture |
| Phase 3 | 31 October to 4 November 2026 | Clothing, sportswear, shoes, recreation, health products |
The fair is free but wandering it is not
The fair itself is free to attend, but it is enormous: over 25,000 exhibitors in halls that take a long walk to cross end to end. Without a plan of which halls and booths fit your product list, a day disappears fast and booth staff give their best attention to buyers who ask precise questions rather than the ones who browse.
Not everyone needs to fly. A good amount of buying gets done at the fair by proxy: someone local walks the halls with your product list and target prices, collects offers, photos and samples and reports back. If your list is short or travel is difficult this year, that route costs a fraction of the trip.
Signs October will catch you unprepared
- You know the fair dates but not which phase covers your product category.
- Your visa needs an invitation letter and no badge registration exists yet.
- No hotel is booked and your target week falls in one of the busy phases.
- The booth plan is currently: we will see when we get there.
What to settle before September
- Which of the three phases and which specific days actually matter for your product list?
- What has to be arranged before September: badge, invitation letter, visa appointment, hotel?
- Should you travel at all this session or can the fair be walked for you?
- Who follows up with the suppliers you meet once the fair ends and everyone flies home?
Where we come in
We live in Guangzhou, minutes from the complex and we work the fair every session. Before October we prepare your badge, the invitation letter for your visa and a day-by-day plan of the halls and booths that fit your list. At the fair we stay at your side: translating, negotiating and writing down every supplier, price and offer so you can concentrate on the products.
If you stay home, we walk the fair for you with your product list and send back a clear report with offers, photos and samples. Either way the fair is only the start: we verify the suppliers afterwards, collect your samples, follow production and inspect the goods before they ship.
Prepared buyers fly home with a shortlist
Prepared buyers leave the fair with a shortlist of real candidates, prices they can compare and a follow-up plan that starts the following Monday. Unprepared buyers leave with a bag of business cards and jet lag.
The difference is not effort in October. It is the six weeks before it.
Two buyers, same phase, different Octobers
A sports brand flying in for Phase 3 requests its badge and invitation letter in August, takes the visa appointment before the September rush and books the hotel before prices move. Their two fair days cover eleven pre-selected sportswear booths with an interpreter at their side and they fly home with three quotes worth pursuing. A buyer who lands for the same phase with no plan spends day one at the registration hall instead.
Count backward from your phase
Put the three phase windows against your product list, then work the calendar backward: visa appointment, invitation letter, badge, hotel. If any of those has to happen in the next six weeks, the preparation season is now, not October.
Canton Fair October 2026: common questions
When is the Canton Fair in October 2026?
The autumn 2026 session runs from 15 October to 4 November 2026 at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, in three phases: 15 to 19 October, 23 to 27 October and 31 October to 4 November.
Which phase covers my products?
Phase 1 (15 to 19 October) covers electronics, machinery, appliances, lighting, vehicles, hardware and tools. Phase 2 (23 to 27 October) covers household goods, kitchenware, ceramics, decoration and furniture. Phase 3 (31 October to 4 November) covers clothing, sportswear, shoes, recreation and health products.
Does it cost anything to attend the Canton Fair?
Attendance is free for overseas buyers. You register for a buyer badge and many nationalities then need an invitation letter to apply for a Chinese business visa, so the real costs are travel, hotels and preparation time.
Do I need to attend in person?
Not necessarily. A local partner can walk the fair with your product list and target prices, collect offers, photos and samples and report back. If your list is short or travel is difficult this year, that route costs a fraction of the trip.