The first phase of the 140th Canton Fair concluded on October 19, 2026, with overseas buyer attendance reaching a record high. According to the China Foreign Trade Centre, 189,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions had attended by that date, up 13.3% from the same stage of the previous edition.

The increase points to stronger participation in the fair as a sourcing venue. For exhibitors, a larger buyer presence can create more opportunities for initial discussions and follow-up enquiries. Attendance alone, however, does not establish how much business will result: conversion into orders depends on whether those discussions progress to product selection, agreement on commercial terms and confirmed purchases.

The second phase, themed “Quality Home,” will run from October 23 to 27 and cover categories including art ceramics, furniture and hardware. This shifts the immediate focus to sourcing activity in home-related products, although the first phase’s attendance growth does not establish how buyer participation will develop in the next phase.

For suppliers in those categories, the next useful signals will be the substance of buyer enquiries and their progression toward orders. Requests for quotations, samples or further product discussions could help indicate purchasing intent, while subsequent order commitments would provide a firmer basis for assessing the commercial impact of the record turnout.