Canton Fair Phase 1 guide: The most factory‑heavy week, led by electronics and automation halls

Phase 1 of the 140th Canton Fair runs from Oct 15 to 19, 2026 at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, and it is the week for appliances, tools, hardware, vehicle parts, consumer electronics, machinery, lighting and new energy.² At least 10,771 exhibitors list a Phase 1 booth, according to a Standard Trade analysis of the fair’s exhibitor directory.¹ This guide covers the practical details, the halls where each product sits, and which halls are mostly factories rather than trading companies.

For the other weeks, see Phase 2 (Oct 23 to 27, home goods, furniture and gifts) and Phase 3 (Oct 31 to Nov 4, textiles, clothing, food and toys). To tell a factory from a trader at any booth, see our guide to the whole fair.

What do I need to know before I go?

• Dates: Oct 15 to 19, 2026. The fair closes Oct 20 to 22 while the halls change over to Phase 2.³
• Hours: 9:30 am to 6 pm on exhibition days.⁴
• Venue: China Import and Export Fair Complex, 382 Yuejiang Zhong Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou. Metro Line 8 stops at Xingangdong and Pazhou stations, next to the halls.⁵
• Badge: Pre-register online through the fair’s Buyer Service System. The overseas buyer badge is free, and you collect it with your passport at Baiyun Airport, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Pazhou Ferry Terminal, a designated hotel or the complex itself.³
• Visa: If you need one, request an invitation letter through the same Buyer Service System.⁶
• Bring: Your passport, plenty of business cards, comfortable shoes, and Alipay or WeChat Pay set up before you land.⁶

Where is my product in Phase 1?

Household appliances fill the most booths, 1,627 of the 9,552 exhibitors that book only Phase 1, across the pavilions of Area A. Tools, hardware, vehicle parts and consumer electronics each have more than 800, and machinery of every size adds about 1,400 more (Table 1).¹ Hall numbers give the pavilion and then the floor, so 5.1 is pavilion 5, first floor. Pavilions 1 to 8 form Area A, 9 to 13 Area B and 14 to 16 Area C, and Area D starts at pavilion 17.⁵

Source: Standard Trade analysis of Canton Fair exhibitor profiles; exhibitors that book only Phase 1, by the exhibition area on their profile. Halls hold at least 5% of an area’s booths. Traders are the share choosing “Foreign Trade Company” among those stating a type.¹

Phase 1 is the most factory-heavy week of the fair: 28% of its exhibitors that state a type call themselves traders, against 36% in Phase 2 and 40% in Phase 3.¹ Consumer electronics (16%), industrial automation (17%), solar and new energy (19%), appliances (20%) and general machinery (20%) are mostly makers, which fits industries where the maker is usually also the exporter. Tools and hardware run higher, at 32% each, and the small EV and smart mobility section stands out at 46%.

How should I plan my days?

Shortlist before you fly. Exhibitors have profiles on the fair’s Canton Fair 365 site with their products, company type and booth numbers, so you can mark the booths you need on a hall plan and walk one area at a time.¹

Read the booth list on each profile. An exhibitor with booths in more than one phase is selling more than one industry’s goods, which is what trading companies do. Among Phase 1 exhibitors that also book another phase, 54% call themselves traders, against 25% of those that book Phase 1 only.¹

Location is a weaker signal. Zhejiang sends the most Phase 1 exhibitors, and 25% of those stating a type say they are traders, against 15% for Guangdong and 31% for Jiangsu.¹

If you can’t check every booth yourself, our Canton Fair Evidence search answers questions across the exhibitor list with the profile behind each claim. It is invite-only while we test it, and you can request access on that page.

How do I tell a factory from a trader at the booth?

• Ask production questions and see who answers without phoning anyone: the machines, the monthly capacity and the lead time.
• Read the registered Chinese name. 175 Phase 1 exhibitors that call themselves manufacturers or “industry and trade” carry 贸易 (trade) or 进出口 (import and export) in it.¹
• Check the license by its 18-character Unified Social Credit Code at gsxt.gov.cn, and confirm the business scope covers production of your item.

Our whole-fair guide has the full checklist and what to verify before you pay a deposit.

Tell us what you need checked: info@standardtrade.ai.

Common questions

1. When is Canton Fair Phase 1 in 2026?

   Phase 1 of the 140th Canton Fair runs from Oct 15 to 19, 2026 at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, from 9:30 am to 6 pm each day.^2,4 Phase 2 runs Oct 23 to 27. Phase 3 runs Oct 31 to Nov 4.

2. What products are in Canton Fair Phase 1?

   Household appliances, tools, hardware, vehicle spare parts, consumer electronics, machinery, electrical products, lighting, chemical products and solar equipment are the largest areas.¹ Home goods and furniture come in Phase 2, and textiles, clothing and toys in Phase 3.

3. Which hall has household appliances at Canton Fair Phase 1?

   Household appliances fill pavilions 1 to 5 in Area A, mainly halls 2.1 to 5.1 plus 1.2, 2.2 and 5.2.¹ Consumer electronics are in halls 17.2 to 20.2, and tools in halls 9.2 to 13.2.

4. Is the Canton Fair buyer badge free?

   Yes. The overseas buyer badge is free when you pre-register online, and you collect it with your passport at the airport, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Pazhou Ferry Terminal, a designated hotel or the complex.³

5. How many exhibitors are in Canton Fair Phase 1?

   At least 10,771 have a profile that lists a Phase 1 booth.¹ Another 7,394 listed exhibitors across the fair had no phase on record when we checked, so the real number is higher.