The 140th China Import and Export Fair opened on the 15th, the fair's 70th anniversary. What began in 1957 with paper umbrellas and lacquerware now features robots and AI devices.
Chinese media report that the 140th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, opened in Guangzhou on October 15, 2026 and runs through November 4. It is 70 years since the first edition in 1957, and the fair has been held 140 times in that span. Guangzhou Daily described it as the starting point of Guangzhou opening its doors to the world.
광고 문의 · 300×250Phase one runs from October 15 to 19 under the theme Advanced Manufacturing. According to 21st Century Business Herald, more than 30,000 companies are exhibiting (a dedicated page gives 32,000), and about 340,000 overseas buyers are counted. The fair is organized into five sections and 19 exhibition areas.
From Bicycles to Robots: Seven Decades of Hot Sellers
A timeline compiled by CCTV News shows how popular goods have shifted. In 1957, paper umbrellas and lacquerware sold best; at the spring fair of 1972, a Canadian buyer ordered 750 down vests; in 1978 Guangdong jeans won an order for 10,000 dozen; and at the autumn fair of 1981, a US buyer picked out Chinese-made bicycles on the spot.
Domestic refrigerators appeared in 1988, and in 1990 a US buyer examined Chinese microscopes. At the 100th fair in 2006, microwave ovens were stacked in heaps and LCD televisions formed a wall, with energy saving and multifunction as new selling points. In 2016, air conditioners using photovoltaic technology and drones drew overseas buyers, making smart and green the themes.
This year, robots take center stage. The service robot zone shows exoskeleton robots, AI glasses and coffee robots that foreign buyers could try, while a panda-shaped robot greeted visitors with a bow. The exoskeleton was presented as a device that can help a buyer in a wheelchair stand. 21st Century Business Herald quoted Venezuelan buyer Raul as saying it was the first time he had seen a hall filled entirely with robots, and that robots at the fair are becoming more numerous.
From Made in China to Smart-Made in China
The share of new products and green products reached 23.2% and 26%, both record highs, 21st Century Business Herald reported. Some 64% of exhibitors use new technologies such as the industrial internet and AI, and more than 11,000 high-quality firms, including specialized and single-product champions, are taking part. About 10,000 volunteers, nicknamed little bees, support operations.
Guangzhou company cases cited by NetEase show the shift. Guangzhou CNC equipment maker GSK began CNC technology development in 1987, launched a lathe system in 1992 and from around 2014 began shipping six-axis industrial robots systematically; Hangzhou-based Deep Robotics says its quadruped and humanoid robots have been exported to 45 countries. The article argued that the fair's role has moved from a window that brokers sales to an interface offering supply-chain integration solutions.
As for specific examples of made-to-order production at this edition, none could be found in the reports reviewed today, so none are stated here. With the fair running to November 4, deal volumes and buyer reactions are expected to be confirmed in later announcements.
