By hannover-web.com On October 15th, the 136th China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, officially opened its doors to visitors. Running from October 15 to November 4, this year’s fair will be held in three phases, showcasing a notable increase in the number of exhibitors, new products, and product launch events compared to the last session.
The theme for this year’s fair is “Serving High-Quality Development, Promoting High-Level Openness.” Spanning an impressive 1.55 million square meters and featuring 74,000 booths across 55 exhibition areas and 171 sub-areas, the fair will focus on three themes: “Advanced Manufacturing,” “Quality Home,” and “Better Life,” emphasizing new productivity.
Over 30,000 companies are participating in the in-person exhibition, with approximately 29,400 involved in exports—nearly 800 more than last year. The event has seen a surge of new entrants, with around 4,600 new companies showcasing their products, technologies, and business models.
The fair will host more than 8,000 firms holding titles such as National High-tech Enterprises and “Little Giants” in niche markets, showing a growth of over 40% from the last event. Companies focusing on “New Three Samples,” digital technology, and intelligent manufacturing number around 3,600, while over 14,000 have registered their own brands, and 18,000 have passed various international certifications.
Attendees can expect to see 1.15 million new products, 1.04 million green products, and 1.11 million products with independent intellectual property rights— all reflecting significant growth. The event will hold about 400 product launch activities, marking a more than 30% increase from last year. Additionally, the fair will continue to host an import exhibition over the three phases, taking up 30,000 square meters and attracting 730 companies from 49 countries and regions. A new feature this year is the service for issuing exhibition certificates, aimed at encouraging enterprise innovation and showcasing new products and technologies while also enhancing intellectual property protections at the fair.
The Fair’s focus areas include Advanced Manufacturing, Quality Home, and Better Life. One standout participant is a renewable energy company from Jiangsu, making its debut with a novel solution for water and electricity challenges faced by island communities using wind and solar systems. Another exhibit from a Chengdu-based company features a fully automated packaging production line, offering comprehensive solutions from hardware to software.
The first day of the fair has already drawn significant crowds. The exhibition’s total area for phase one is 520,000 square meters, with 11,165 participating companies across various sectors, including electronics, industrial manufacturing, lighting, hardware tools, and vehicles.
As early as 9 AM, exhibitors and buyers began pouring in, peaking around noon. Countless teams attended, ranging from exhibitor-led sales teams to large multinational procurement groups, highlighting the scale of participation. As of October 13, 223 of the world’s top 250 retailers and leading multinational companies had confirmed their attendance— a significant increase that suggests the number of major buyers at this fair may exceed 300 for the first time.
What’s new this year? First, there are the companies. With over 155,000 square meters of exhibition space and more than 30,000 exhibitors, including close to 4,600 newcomers, this fair presents exciting new business opportunities and orders.
Next, the products on display are noteworthy. A staggering 1.15 million new products will be showcased, with digital smart products increasing threefold compared to last year—these are particularly drawing the attention of international buyers. In the smart living zones, attendees can expect to see humanoid robots, smart devices, and autonomous products making their debut.
In the renewable energy section, there’s a special focus on hydrogen energy, along with a new area dedicated to energy storage products, showcasing further innovations that are smarter and greener.
With such highlights, what are buyers hoping to find? Reports indicate that many large buyers arrived with procurement lists in hand even before the fair began, showing keen interest in home appliances, especially smart electronics.
Currently, a product launch event is taking place featuring innovative items like smart massage chairs and air-conducting headphones, enticing many buyers to inquire further. Chinese products are standing out in the global market, thanks to their creativity and competitive pricing.
On another note, the fair has also introduced a red bus showcasing distinctive agricultural products from Guangdong, allowing visitors to taste and experience these items firsthand.
