Overseas Buyer Attendance Hits Record High as Phase 1 of the 140th Canton Fair Wraps Up

GUANGZHOU, Oct. 19 — The first phase of the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) closed on Monday in Guangzhou, posting a record high inflow of overseas buyers and robust momentum for advanced manufacturing trade.

Running from October 15 to 19 under the theme of Advanced Manufacturing, Phase 1 occupied 520,000 sq.m with over 25,000 booths and more than 12,000 exhibitors. Over 6,000 of these exhibitors are high-tech, specialized, innovative enterprises and single-product champions, showcasing new quality productive forces across electronics & home appliances, industrial automation, lighting & electrical equipment, hardware tools, new energy vehicles and smart mobilityThe State.

According to the organizer China Foreign Trade Center, a total of 189,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions attended this phase, rising 13.3% year-on-year to set a new record for the corresponding periodThe State .... The fair added 58 leading global buyers to its Buyer Alliance, bringing its global partner network to 240 members.

This edition featured a strong lineup of innovative, AI-enabled and eco-friendly products: 128,000 new products, 67,000 AI products and 202,000 green products on display, up 6.7%, 20.5% and 13.5% respectively versus the prior session. Service robots, dexterous robotic hands, photovoltaic facades and energy-saving integrated panels were among the crowd favourites. A dedicated service robot zone remained a highlight, drawing intensive inquiries and order negotiations from global purchasers.

Many exhibitors are shifting from merely selling hardware to delivering integrated solutions under the “product plus service” model. For the first time, the trade service zone covers all ten categories of producer services to support full‑chain business matching.

As a key barometer of China’s foreign trade, the Canton Fair continues in two subsequent phases: Phase 2 (Oct.23–27, Quality Home Life) and Phase 3 (Oct.31–Nov.4, Better Life). The whole event runs until November 4, bridging Chinese manufacturers and global buyers for win‑win cooperation.