139th Session Closes With Records: 314,000 Buyers and $25.7 Billion in Intended Orders

The 139th Canton Fair closed on May 5, 2026 with new benchmarks for buyer attendance, top-buyer turnout, and innovative, sustainable and intelligent exhibits: 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions and $25.7 billion in on-site intended orders.

Closing figures

The 139th Canton Fair, which closed May 5, 2026, drew close global attention as the first major trade event of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period. Against a complicated international backdrop, it set new benchmarks for buyer attendance, top-buyer turnout, and the number of innovative, sustainable and intelligent exhibits on display.

Attendance reached 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions, up 1.1 percent over the 138th session. Growth was notable from the United States, Australia and Canada, while delegations from Belt and Road countries held steady. The fair hosted 407 top buyers and 154 overseas business organizations. On-site intended orders totaled 25.7 billion dollars, and a substantial number of buyers arranged follow-up factory visits to convert interest into long-term partnerships.

A record opening

The session had opened in Guangzhou on April 15, 2026, drawing a record of more than 32,000 participating enterprises. The number of exhibition zones rose to 179, including nine new sections covering smart wearables, display technologies, consumer drones, modular houses and garden facilities.

As of April 9, 290 leading purchasing enterprises had confirmed participation, a 30 percent year-on-year increase. New buyers came primarily from Belt and Road partner countries, with notable growth from Latin America and Africa. The session ran April 15 to May 5 across 1.55 million square meters, with 75,700 booths.

What the exhibits showed

The 4.65 million exhibits included innovative, sustainable and intelligent products at over 20 percent each. The fair staged 665 new-product debut events, and more than 60 percent of exhibits incorporated innovative technologies. A Design Brilliance display zone showcased past Gold Award and Best of the Best winners, while drones, smart wearables and exoskeleton technology demonstrated how utility and advanced engineering intersect.

Sustainable materials and Guochao national-trend aesthetics emerged as significant market drivers, aligning Chinese intelligent manufacturing with shifts in global consumption. Nine new special zones for emerging industries, smart wearables and consumer drones among them, hosted roughly 670 companies across more than 1,300 booths.

Digital tools multiplied the trade

More than 553,000 users accessed the fair's app and 317,000 used booth-level navigation; features such as one-click navigation and other AI services smoothed on-site matching. The Trade Services Zone, covering the full trade cycle, saw 210 institutions receive more than 120,000 visits.

Live-streamed exhibition tours for Middle East buyers drew over 3.05 million views and 290,000 interactions, and overseas social media and news coverage topped 120 million views. The next session, the 140th, was set for October 15 to November 4, 2026: the fair's 70th anniversary.

Figures in this report come from the organiser and the outlets cited below. We have not independently re-counted attendance, orders or exhibitor numbers.