Canton Fair 2027: a guide for Indian buyers

The spring 2027 session

The China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, is held twice a year at the Canton Fair Complex in Pazhou, Guangzhou. Each session runs in three phases of about five days, and each phase covers a different group of industries. The spring 2027 session will be the 141st.

The organiser usually publishes a session's dates a few months in advance on its official website, cantonfair.org.cn. On 13 November 2026 the spring 2027 dates had not been announced. The spring 2026 session ran from 15 to 19 April, 23 to 27 April and 1 to 5 May. If 2027 follows the same pattern, the phases would fall on about the dates below.

Treat these as planning dates only. Confirm the published dates before you buy non-refundable flights.

What each phase covers

The organiser adjusts the product categories slightly from one session to the next, so check the official exhibit list for 2027. The broad division has been stable for several sessions.

Phase 1: advanced manufacturing

Consumer electronics, home appliances, lighting, machinery, hardware and tools, building hardware, vehicles and vehicle parts, and new energy products. This phase suits electronics and mobile accessory traders, appliance dealers, hardware and tool importers, and buyers of solar and EV components.

Phase 2: home

Furniture, building and decorative materials, kitchenware and tableware, household items, gifts, and festive and home decoration. This phase suits furniture and home decor retailers, interior contractors, kitchenware distributors, and gift and festive-goods traders.

Phase 3: lifestyle

Toys, baby and children's products, garments, textiles, footwear, bags and cases, sports and recreation, and health products. This phase suits toy retailers, garment and fabric traders, footwear and bag importers, and pharmacy and wellness buyers.

Most buyers attend one phase. If your business spans two phases, note that Phase 1 and Phase 2 are about eight days apart, which usually means two separate trips or a long stay.

Choosing the right phase

Start with what you intend to buy over the next 12 months. List your top product lines by purchase value and match them to a phase. If two thirds of your buying sits in one phase, attend that phase and use a spare day for the wholesale markets.

For a group, the same rule applies to every member. A group of furniture retailers and electronics traders is two groups travelling in different weeks. Mixing them on one departure means part of the group attends the wrong phase.

Buyer registration and the badge

Each visitor needs a buyer badge to enter the halls. Overseas buyers register online through the official Canton Fair website before travelling, with passport details and a photograph, and collect the badge at the complex on arrival. Keep the registration confirmation on your phone and as a printout.

Registered overseas buyers can usually request an invitation letter through the official buyer service, which supports a China business visa application. Check the current process when registration opens, as the steps and timings are set by the organiser.

Visa for Indian buyers

Indian passport holders need a visa to attend the Canton Fair. There are two common routes.

• China group visa for travellers on one organised group programme. The operator collects each traveller's documents and handles the group filing.
• China business (M) visa for travellers who want to stay on after the group, travel to other cities on their own, or visit independently. It requires an invitation and an application through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre.

Visa decisions rest with the Chinese authorities, and no operator can guarantee one. For document requirements in general terms, read our guide to the China business visa for Indian travellers.

How a group visit works

A private group of 10 or more travels on its own dates with its own coach and an itinerary built around its trade. A typical Canton Fair programme follows the order below.

1. Tell us your trade, group size and dates. Include the phase that matches what the group buys.
2. We send a day-by-day plan and a per-person price. The plan shows fair days, market days and any factory visits.
3. A 30% deposit holds the hotels. Hotels near the complex fill early in fair weeks, so this is the step to take first.
4. We file the visas and confirm factory meetings. Every traveller sends documents on one template, and each file is checked before submission.
5. Travel with our tour manager. Airport pickup, a coach to Pazhou each fair day, a verified guide and translators, and an Indian dinner every day.
6. Sourcing follow-up after you return. We follow up with the suppliers the group met during the fair.

Planning the days

Two or three fair days are enough for most buyers in one phase. The complex is large, and a first day spent walking every hall rarely produces useful meetings. A more productive pattern is:

• Day 1: badge collection and a structured walk through the halls for your categories. Collect cards and catalogues, and note booth numbers.
• Day 2: return to a short list of exhibitors for detailed discussions on specifications, minimum order quantities and lead times.
• Day 3: a visit to one or two factories behind the shortlisted exhibitors, or a day in the wholesale markets of Guangzhou or Foshan.

The markets often help buyers compare prices and see stock in volume. Our article on Guangzhou wholesale markets by category lists where each product line is sold.

What to prepare before you travel

• A product brief for each line: target specifications, quantities, packaging, labelling and the price range you can work with.
• Visiting cards in English, ideally with a Chinese translation on the reverse.
• A messaging app that suppliers use. Most Chinese suppliers communicate on WeChat. See our note on payments and apps in China.
• Your import requirements, such as BIS registration for electronics or labelling rules for packaged goods, so that suppliers can confirm compliance before you order.
• A list of questions for each supplier: factory location, export experience, sample terms and payment terms.

After the fair

The value of the trip is decided in the weeks after it. Send each shortlisted supplier a written summary of what was discussed, request formal quotations and samples, and compare them on the same basis. Do not pay deposits to personal accounts or wallets. Pay against a proforma invoice to the supplier's company account, with a written contract that sets out specifications, inspection and delivery terms.

Questions