Canton Fair connects global buyers with Chinese manufacturers
Global buyers are gathering at the ongoing 140th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Bringing competing suppliers together under one roof allows visitors to compare products, quality and prices directly, while many buyers are also extending their trips to visit nearby factories.
Also known as the Canton Fair, the event is held twice a year and is China's largest and longest-running comprehensive trade fair. It is also widely regarded as an important indicator of the country's foreign trade.
For buyers moving through the busy exhibition halls, the fair's main advantage lies in the concentration of suppliers in one place, allowing them to compare offers and make informed purchasing decisions.
"The beauty about Canton Fair is all these different suppliers are all together. So you can go from one supplier to another, to another. Compare their products, quality as well as price, and you put them all together and then you make a decision. Makes it absolutely fantastic. We would like to come again and again and again. Once you come to China once, you will come many times. Next year, we will be here again," said Humphrey Muturi, a buyer from Kenya.
The sourcing process often continues beyond the exhibition grounds. Guangzhou lies in the Pearl River Delta, one of China's major manufacturing hubs, where many factories are located about an hour's drive from the fair.
Buyers frequently visit production facilities in person to observe assembly lines and gain a closer understanding of manufacturing processes.
"Once you go to one company, you get to learn all the manufactured items, you go to the next, you can compare how they operate. You can come to [understand and learn critical information], you can ask them questions and interact, and give them the specification that you are looking for. And they help very fast," said another Kenyan buyer, Titus Muthomi.
This direct access is supported by China's comprehensive industrial chain and stable manufacturing capacity. These strengths enable suppliers to provide overseas customers with integrated solutions and customized services rather than limiting their business to one-off transactions.
According to CCTV+, the Canton Fair continues to serve as a major platform for international trade, connecting global buyers with Chinese manufacturers. Direct product comparisons, factory visits and discussions about customized requirements help strengthen business relationships and expand trade cooperation.
