Infographic: China's Canton Fair draws record overseas buyers in 70th year

(AI-assisted Creation)

The 140th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, closed on Nov. 4, 2026, after drawing 352,000 overseas buyers from 219 countries and regions -- up 12.2 percent from the previous session and marking a record high in the event's 70-year history.

Since its inaugural session in 1957, which attracted just over 1,200 buyers, the fair has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event. Over the years, buyers from more than 220 countries and regions have attended, with cumulative transaction volume reaching 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars.

For many buyers, the trade fair serves as a conduit linking China's industrial capabilities with global market demand. They say China's comprehensive, stable, efficient supply chain offers rare certainty as trade barriers raise costs and threaten supply chain stability.

"The majority of our member companies source their suppliers through the Canton Fair, and they have long been partners who have grown together," said Juan Camilo Basto, a council member of the Colombian-Chinese Chamber of Investment and Commerce. "No online platform can replace the Canton Fair. It makes cooperation more grounded and friendship more meaningful."

The fair also showcases the transformation of Chinese manufacturing, with innovation and green development taking an increasingly prominent role.

More than 32,000 exhibitors presented 4.88 million products, 64 percent of which applied technologies such as the industrial internet and AI. Exhibits ranged from dexterous robotic hands to PV curtain walls. New and green products accounted for 23.2 percent and 26 percent of the exhibits, respectively, both record highs.

For longtime participants, the fair's evolution reflects broader changes in China's manufacturing sector.