GUANGZHOU, (Pakistan Point News - 19th Oct, 2025) The 138th China Import and Export Fair, better known as the Canton Fair, has shattered attendance records with over 240,000 pre-registered buyers from 218 markets, marking a 10 percent surge and signaling renewed global confidence in China's manufacturing sector.
Held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, the latest edition of China's biannual trade showcase runs from 15th October through 4th November in three phases. The five-day first phase wrapped up on Sunday.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), early figures already point to unprecedented turnout. More than 240,000 buyers from 218 export markets have pre-registered, up 10 percent from the previous edition, underscoring the fair's growing global appeal.
"In the first three days of the Canton Fair, our statistics showed that over 175 leading purchasing companies attended, an 11-percent increase compared to the same period in the previous edition. Based on our pre-registration data, more companies are expected to participate in the second and third phases, bringing the total to over 400," said Cai Yiyi, manager of external relations office at the China Foreign Trade Centre, the organiser of the Canton Fair.
William Widjaja, the procurement director of Indonesia's Kawan Lama Group, is attending the Canton Fair for the 40th time.
"I've been attending the Canton Fair since 2003 for both sessions each year. Our company sends about 100 buyers to each edition," he said.
Over the past 20 years, William has evolved from a novice buyer to a team leader, witnessing the upgrading of Chinese manufacturing. His company imports about 3,000 containers of goods from China each month.
"The Canton Fair is a platform for us to make friends. For new product development and market information exchange, we often prefer face-to-face communication. Our company has grown thanks to the Canton Fair; about 80 to 90 percent of our imported products come from China, and we met most of our suppliers here at the fair. We rely on the Canton Fair to learn about the products we need, so we cherish this channel. Each edition of the fair is different and better than the last. We feel at home here and a strong emotional connection to it," said William.
Many leading buyers at the Canton Fair shared similar sentiments to William.
"I am a very big fan of Canton Fair and I am very proud of the Chinese entrepreneurs. We're buying around 40 million, 45 million Dollars' [worth of products] yearly," said Devison, a buyer from Chile.
