Published by ChinaMNC · Linxiang

Canton Fair 140th Session Opens in Guangzhou: What Foreign Founders Should Know

The 140th Canton Fair opened in Guangzhou on October 15, drawing about 34,000 overseas buyers and roughly 32,000 exhibitors. Here is what foreign founders should note about the sourcing and market-entry implications.

What Happened at the 140th Canton Fair

The 140th session of the China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, opened in Guangzhou on October 15, according to the Hunan Provincial People's Government portal. The event is organized in three phases running from October 15 to November 4.

For foreign founders evaluating China as a sourcing base or market, the headline figures are worth noting: about 32,000 companies are exhibiting across the full session, and roughly 340,000 overseas buyers are expected to attend for procurement. These are the figures reported by the source and reflect the scale of the event as a bridge between overseas buyers and Chinese manufacturers.

Phase One Focuses on Advanced Manufacturing

The first phase, themed around advanced manufacturing, features more than 12,000 exhibiting companies. Among them, over 6,000 are described as high-quality exhibitors, including high-tech enterprises, specialized and sophisticated small and medium enterprises, and single-champion companies. For founders looking for manufacturing partners, this phase concentrates a large share of China's more technically capable suppliers.

The first phase is organized around three trends: new, green, and intelligent. It highlights global sourcing hot spots such as new energy, smart manufacturing, and embodied intelligence. Seventeen zones are dedicated to emerging future industries, including service robots, drones, and display technology. The exhibition also presents outcomes of new quality productive forces, such as new-type energy storage, high-end chips, and AI visualization products.

Trade Services Get Broader Coverage

In the trade services exhibition area, nine dedicated zones are organized around producer services. According to the source, this marks the first time the event covers all ten major categories of producer services. For foreign founders, this matters because these zones bring together service providers that support manufacturing and trade, from logistics to design and related business services.

New Product Launches and What They Signal

The session plans more than 700 new product launch events, and the number of products released is up 15 percent compared with the previous figure cited in the source. A dedicated new product launch display area has been set up for the first time. For founders assessing innovation pipelines, these launches offer a way to see what Chinese suppliers are bringing to market.

Why This Matters for Foreign Founders in China

The Canton Fair is not only a sourcing event. For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, it is a practical checkpoint on supply chains, product trends, and service ecosystems. The scale of overseas buyer attendance—about 340,000—shows that the event remains a central meeting point for cross-border procurement.

Founders planning to attend or follow the fair should keep several practical points in mind:

• Supplier vetting: The presence of more than 6,000 high-quality exhibitors in phase one, including high-tech and specialized SMEs, gives founders a starting pool for due diligence, but exhibition participation alone is not a guarantee of quality.
• Emerging categories: The 17 future-industry zones—covering service robots, drones, display technology, and more—can help founders identify suppliers in sectors where Chinese manufacturing is expanding.
• Service infrastructure: The nine producer-service zones and the first full coverage of ten major producer-service categories indicate a broader support base for companies that need logistics, design, and related services alongside manufacturing.
• Product pipeline: More than 700 launch events and a 15 percent increase in released products give founders a view of upcoming offerings before they reach wider markets.

Practical Steps for Founders

Foreign founders using the fair as part of a China market-entry or sourcing strategy should treat the event as one input among several. The source does not provide details on registration procedures, visa arrangements, or exhibitor lists, so founders should verify participation and scheduling through official channels. The three-phase structure from October 15 to November 4 means different product categories appear at different times, and planning around the relevant phase is essential.

For companies already operating in China, the fair can also serve as a way to compare suppliers, review new product categories, and connect with service providers in the producer-services zones. The emphasis on green and intelligent manufacturing in phase one reflects directions that may affect sourcing decisions in new energy, smart manufacturing, and related fields.

Key Takeaways

• The 140th Canton Fair opened in Guangzhou on October 15 and runs in three phases until November 4.
• About 32,000 companies are exhibiting, and about 340,000 overseas buyers are attending for procurement.
• Phase one covers advanced manufacturing, with more than 12,000 exhibitors, including over 6,000 high-quality companies.
• Seventeen future-industry zones feature service robots, drones, display technology, and other emerging sectors.
• Nine trade-service zones cover producer services, with full coverage of ten major categories for the first time.
• More than 700 new product launch events are planned, with released products up 15 percent.

Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.