140th Canton Fair Opens with 32,000 Exhibitors; Advanced Manufacturing Takes Center Stage

The 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) opened in Guangzhou on Oct 15. According to the Chinese government portal and People's Daily, the session gathers about 32,000 exhibitors and around 340,000 overseas buyers, with roughly 1.55 million square metres of exhibition space, running in three phases through Nov 4.

The first phase (Oct 15–19) is themed "Advanced Manufacturing," with more than 25,000 booths and 12,000 companies showcasing artificial intelligence and green, low-carbon technologies. Over 6,000 of these are high-tech, "specialized and sophisticated" little giants or manufacturing champions. The phase sets up 17 emerging-industry zones covering service robots, drones and display technologies.

Across the whole fair, more than 11,000 of the 32,000 exhibitors are specialized/champion enterprises, and about 64% apply industrial-internet or AI technologies. New products and green products account for 23.2% and 26% of exhibits respectively—both record highs. More than 700 new-product launch events are planned, with launches up 15% from the previous session.

For manufacturers and exporters on the platform, the Canton Fair is a key window into overseas order patterns and technology trends. The shift toward "product-plus-service" offerings, smart manufacturing and low-carbon solutions is driving buyer conversations. Companies are advised to highlight smart, green and modular selling points in their profiles and product descriptions, and to follow the move toward solution-based procurement.