What to source at the Canton Fair, phase by phase

The Canton Fair splits into three phases, and each one covers a different, non-overlapping set of product categories — not a rotating sample of everything on offer. Which phase matters to you depends entirely on what you’re sourcing. Find your category below to see which phase covers it, and whether the fair is actually the better trip compared with a specialised wholesale market outside it.

Why phase matters more than “when is the fair”

Each of the fair’s three phases has its own official theme and its own set of exhibitors — a buyer sourcing lighting has no reason to be there during the phase built around clothing and textiles, and vice versa. Read how the three phases are structured if you haven’t already; this page assumes you know which phase you need and helps you decide what to do once you’re there.

The real question for most categories: fair or specialised market

Guangzhou and the wider Pearl River Delta region have dense, long-established wholesale markets for many of the same product groups the fair covers — lighting, fabric, shoes, furniture, and more each have their own dedicated cluster, often decades old and open year-round. That raises a genuine question competitors rarely answer honestly: for your specific category, is the fair worth attending at all, or would a specialised market serve you better?

The answer depends on how you actually buy. A few things hold across most categories:

• Volume and timing. If you need a mixed, smaller order fast — sample quantities, a container of varied goods, stock you can carry out the same day — a specialised market usually serves you better than the fair. If you need one product in real volume, under your own brand, with export certification, the fair’s manufacturer-direct model is built for exactly that.
• Price versus speed. A market is almost always more expensive per unit than a factory-direct order, because you’re paying a wholesaler’s margin. What you get in exchange is speed and no minimum order — not a lower price.
• Language and paperwork. Exhibitors at the fair are expected to handle English at the booth; markets vary far more, and without a translator, entire sections can be practically inaccessible. Export logistics work the same way: a fair exhibitor typically arranges shipping as part of the deal, while buying at a market puts you on the hook for your own freight forwarder.

Each category page below applies this framework to the specifics of that product group — the named market (where one genuinely exists), how to get there, and an honest verdict rather than a generic “visit both.”

What’s next

Not sure which phase you need? Check the phase breakdown first, or go straight to the next session’s dates to start planning your trip — including where to stay near the fair.