On the banks of the Pearl River, merchants from all over the world have gathered. On April 15, the 139th China Import and Export Fair officially opened its doors to visitors.

Founded during the First Five-Year Plan period, the China Import and Export Fair has remained vibrant and thriving for 70 years. 2026 marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. For the first time, this edition of the Canton Fair has added nine new specialized zones, including smart wearables, consumer drones, and display technologies; established a one-stop service center for buyers; and introduced a dedicated logo for “veteran Canton Fair participants.” The event will showcase over 4.65 million exhibits, with more than 210,000 buyers having pre-registered.

From a global perspective, such achievements are truly remarkable. Amid ongoing regional conflicts, the rise of unilateral trade protectionism, and a complex and severe international economic and trade environment… in the midst of these turbulent times, the world is looking to “China’s Premier Trade Fair” for certainty.

Unwavering in the Face of Adversity

A “Stabilizer” for Global Trade

In late February of this year, the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict erupted, with fighting continuing for over a month and disrupting the transport of goods and the movement of people in the Middle East. A question loomed before foreign trade enterprises worldwide: Should they continue doing business in the Middle East?

The Canton Fair’s answer is a resounding “Yes!”

On the eve of this year’s Canton Fair, Cai Anyang, deputy general manager of Chaozhou Qingfa Ceramics Co., Ltd., welcomed a group of Middle Eastern guests at the factory; at the same time, clients in Saudi Arabia were placing new orders one after another. “We remain optimistic about the prospects of the Middle Eastern market and will showcase more new products at the Canton Fair, including Middle Eastern-style perfume bottles and coffee ceramics, to continue expanding into emerging markets,” Cai Anyang said.

Zhu Yong, Director of the China Foreign Trade Center, stated: “We have noticed fluctuations in the attendance of Middle Eastern buyers at some global exhibitions recently, but their willingness to participate in the Canton Fair remains strong. To this end, we have launched a dedicated service package, which includes organizing online supply-demand matchmaking for Middle Eastern companies unable to attend in person, promoting live-streamed exhibition tours focused on the Middle East on overseas social media, and optimizing services for Middle Eastern companies operating in China.”

“Breaking the deadlock” marked the beginning of the Canton Fair in the long river of time.

In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, some Western countries imposed “economic blockades” and “embargoes” on China. China urgently needed to develop foreign trade to secure the foreign exchange desperately needed for national construction, and the Canton Fair was born out of this necessity.

On April 25, 1957, the first Canton Fair opened at the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building. Hong Kong buyer Li Huan traveled to Guangzhou by coal-fired train to attend the event. “The enthusiasm of the attendees was high; I squeezed into the crowd and didn’t even notice my tie had become askew.” The following day, the *Nanfang Daily* reported on the bustling trading scene: “Trading delegations began negotiations yesterday afternoon. Within just two hours of initial contact, deals totaling over 100,000 pounds—equivalent to approximately 700,000 yuan—were struck for miscellaneous goods, foodstuffs, tea, livestock products, and minerals.”

That year, the spring and autumn sessions of the Canton Fair generated a total transaction volume of $86.56 million, accounting for 20% of the nation’s total foreign exchange earnings. It successfully helped China break through the Western blockade and pioneered China’s foreign trade. Since then, the Canton Fair has been held regularly twice a year in spring and autumn. It has weathered financial crises and the pandemic of the century, remaining steadfast through thick and thin, without ever being interrupted.

To this day, geopolitical tensions and localized decoupling and supply chain disruptions continue to plague global trade.

Last year, a shadow fell over global trade. With the two sessions of the Canton Fair attracting approximately 290,000 and 310,000 overseas buyers respectively—setting new historical records across multiple metrics—the event demonstrated to the world that it serves as a “stabilizer” for global trade.

Seventy years ago, the Canton Fair helped China break through the Western blockade; today, it has become a bridge connecting world trade, bearing witness to the mutual engagement between China and global businesses.

“For over 20 years, Auchan Group has never missed a single Canton Fair. The partners we’ve found in China not only perfectly combine design, scale, and cost advantages but also continuously raise standards for sustainability and safety,” ” said Pierre Petitdemange, Purchasing Director of Auchan Group’s Guangzhou Branch.

“Buyers at the Canton Fair have not only crossed mountains and seas, but have also demonstrated their commitment to the multilateral trading system and their pursuit of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. We will fully leverage the Canton Fair’s role as a platform for opening up to the world, illuminating every journey made by global buyers and enabling them to share in China’s new development opportunities,” said Zhu Yong.

Bonds of Friendship

Chinese Brands Go Global

On the eve of the 139th Canton Fair, Zhai Hui, Deputy General Manager of Guangzhou Light Industry Group’s subsidiary Guangzhou Light Industry Export Co., Ltd., led a team to Malaysia to hold in-depth discussions with four leading local publicly listed retail companies regarding omnichannel retail display solutions, successfully securing annual strategic cooperation orders. Through the platform of the Canton Fair, Guangzhou Light Industry Export Co., Ltd. has also established strategic partnerships with companies such as Indonesia’s Changyou Group.

Founded in 1956, Light Export has participated in the Canton Fair since its very first edition. “Back then, our company showcased ‘Guangzhou goods’ such as clothing and daily necessities at the inaugural Canton Fair, achieving export sales exceeding one million dollars that very year. In 1980, our export sales surpassed 100 million dollars for the first time,” said Zhai Hui. For those in the foreign trade industry, the Canton Fair is the starting point of dreams and a stage for growth; generation after generation of sales representatives have secured their first order, opened their first overseas market, and signed their first long-term partnership at the Canton Fair.

Over the past 70 years, the Canton Fair has relocated four times, with its exhibition area expanding from an initial 9,600 square meters to 1.55 million square meters. Not only has its scale continued to grow, but its role has also evolved from a simple platform for trading goods into a full-chain trade hub that integrates exhibition, procurement, matchmaking, trade services, and brand promotion.

As a “barometer” of foreign trade, the Canton Fair has helped drive innovative development in trade and has grown alongside China’s foreign trade sector.

Today, participating in the Canton Fair has long evolved from simply “selling products” to “selling solutions, services, and ecosystems.” According to preliminary research, at the 139th Canton Fair, over 7% of exhibiting companies have already provided partners with “hardware + software + services” package solutions, and nearly 30% of exhibitors are currently transitioning toward this model.

Serving as a “debut stage” for corporate innovation, the Canton Fair has become an “amplifier” for Chinese brands.

For the first time, this year’s Canton Fair Design Innovation Awards feature the “Light of Design” immersive experience zone, which showcases a curated selection of past Gold Award-winning and higher-tier entries to highlight the journey of China’s intelligent manufacturing innovation. The fair will also host over 600 new product launch events; through live-streamed tours and other formats, the number of new product releases has increased by 27%, while the number of events in emerging and future industries has grown by 30%. Innovation continues to surge: 60% of participating enterprises own their own brands, and over 60% have adopted new technologies and models—such as industrial internet, artificial intelligence, and green low-carbon solutions—in their production and services.

Hailed as the “bond of friendship” and the “bridge of trade,” the Canton Fair is increasingly demonstrating its role in facilitating the integration of trade and investment.

Among the more than 32,000 exhibiting enterprises at this session of the Canton Fair, nearly 20% have engaged in foreign investment, contributing over 200,000 local jobs and making positive contributions to local economic and social development. “The Canton Fair will continue to optimize service provision, closely aligning with the full lifecycle of product globalization, brand globalization, and enterprise globalization to provide more comprehensive and robust services,” said Wang Zhihua, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce.

Empowered by Digital Intelligence

Embracing Spring’s Call for Openness

Founded during the First Five-Year Plan period, the Canton Fair has remained vibrant and thriving for 70 years. The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan calls for enhancing the functions of trade promotion platforms and continuing to successfully host major exhibitions such as the Canton Fair. How can “China’s Premier Trade Fair” stay fresh and innovative year after year?

Centered on “specialization, market orientation, and digital intelligence,” the 139th Canton Fair has once again demonstrated its vibrant vitality and innovative spirit through a series of reform measures.

——Adjusting exhibition zone layouts and optimizing exhibition themes.

The number of product zones at this year’s Canton Fair has increased to 179, with nine new zones added for the first time, including smart wearables, display technology, consumer drones, prefabricated houses, and garden facilities. In the Smart Wearables Zone, cutting-edge products such as AI-enabled smart glasses, health monitoring wristbands, and fashionable sports watches are showcased. Combining communication, translation, and health management functions, these products redefine “wearable high-tech.” Meanwhile, the scale of exhibition zones for consumer electronics, new materials, and industrial automation has been expanded to better demonstrate the achievements of China’s high-quality foreign trade development and to continuously cultivate new growth drivers for foreign trade. The number of zones dedicated to emerging future industries—such as service robots, smart healthcare, drones, new materials, and new energy—has increased to 18. The event will also feature new AI applications for the first time, including robotic inspections and drone flight demonstrations.

——Dedicated service, innovation-driven leadership, building a “Smart Canton Fair.”

This year’s Canton Fair has set up 70 registration points and 628 service counters at locations such as airports and hotels. At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Rajesh Gupta, a buyer from India, received his brand-new buyer’s pass at the Foreigners’ Convenience Service Center immediately after exiting the customs clearance area—the entire process took just 26 seconds. To build a new smart ecosystem featuring a Smart Canton Fair and Smart Exhibition Halls, the official Canton Fair app now offers 26 functions and introduces 14 new AI application scenarios. The ASKME AI assistant has been fully upgraded, with smart navigation covering 25 exhibition halls and 65% of the total exhibition area.

——The “host city” has gone all out to create a uniquely crafted “Canton Fair experience.”

During this year’s Canton Fair, the exhibition halls will host the “Eat in Guangzhou Carnival”; dining vouchers will be distributed outside the halls, covering over a thousand renowned restaurants; and the citywide “Guangzhou Coffee Season” will bring together more than 200 domestic and international coffee brands. Consumer services have been comprehensively upgraded, with one-stop shopping experiences created within the exhibition halls, and “must-buy, must-take” city souvenirs making their debut. Additionally, Guangzhou has designed multiple city experience routes, featuring over 200 cultural performances, the Guangdong Basketball League, the Guangdong Super League, and a variety of nighttime entertainment options, driving the deep integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and wellness.

Celebrating 70 years of glory, “China’s Premier Exhibition” extends an open invitation to global merchants to join this spring rendezvous.

Source: Southern Daily  Reporters Tang Zitian and Bin Hongxia