Updated November 16, 2025

As a previous American attendee as a Shopify ecommerce buyer, here’s the ultimate guide to the Canton Fair.

What if my supplier messes up? What if they go out of business? How am I going to expand to multiple product verticals?

Cue, the Canton Fair: the largest supplier expo in China, which has been held every year since 1957.

As a Shopify e-commerce business owner, I decided to derisk my business and meet new suppliers at the Canton Fair.

I went alone and without a guide.

Here’s everything you need to know before you attend the Canton Fair as a foreign buyer.

Ultimate Guide to the Canton Fair

Planning Your Trip

Is the Canton Fair worth it?

Honestly, the fastest way to whip up a product is to find a supplier with good views on the Alibaba app.

But, if you already have a product (or at least a sample) you’re happy with and you’re serious about building a business for the longer term, then yes, visiting factories in person and meeting some quickly at the Canton Fair can be worth it.

This is because you truly have no idea who is making what and where if you simply go with a supplier found on Alibaba.

Your end product might be solid, but it’s really hard to know if this supplier would truly be able to grow with you and maintain that quality.

In addition, it can be a time saver to meet a bunch of suppliers in person if you plan to expand into multiple verticals.

It’s also a great learning experience if you’re entering new verticals, because you can ask questions to the sales reps (or family business owners) at the expo about your product idea.

How much did it cost?

The Canton Fair is free.

I spent about $2,100 total for my 4 night trip, including transportation and food costs in China.

• Flights (from NYC to Guangzhou on Cathay Pacific): $1,400
• Hotel (4 nights): $300
• Taxis & Food: $400
• Canton Fair: FREE to attend

What was your itinerary?

My trip was 4 nights and 5 days long. But including the long travel time, it took about 6 days in total.

• Day 1: Fly from NYC to Hong Kong (layover) to Guangzhou, Arrive in the morning, afternoon at the Canton Fair
• Day 2: Full day at the Canton Fair
• Day 3: Supplier Visits
• Day 4: Supplier Visits
• Day 5: Supplier Visits, then late night flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong (layover) to NYC

Where did you stay?

I stayed at Junluxe Hotel in Guangzhou Science City and I LOVED it.

Like many hotels in the area during the Canton Fair, they offer free shuttles to the Canton Fair.

The shuttles run at two different times in the morning and once in the evening, once the fair closes around 6pm.

I had such a comfortable stay. The room was spacious and the bed was comfy. Everything was clean.

I had morning and dinner at my hotel every day and the food was delicious.

I pounded so much good food at their breakfast buffet; it’s definitely worth it (I just bought it once I was there).

They have an indoor pool, so totally bring your swimsuit!

Apparently it’s a Holiday Inn (?) but I never saw any signs claiming that it was.

How to get a Chinese visa as a US citizen

I was conservative and applied for my Chinese visa about 2 months before my intended departure date.

I would recommend you do this step as soon as possible, but you will need to book your flights and accommodation before applying.

Step 1: Register to Attend as an Overseas Buyer

The Canton Fair is free, but you still have to register.

You’ll be asked to upload a photo and typical personal details, including that of your company.

The cool thing is, once you get a badge, you’ll be able to use it forever (but you’ll have to re-register online!).

Step 2: Apply for an Invitation Letter

On the same online platform, apply for an invitation letter.

You will need to bring this letter to the Chinese embassy in the US in order to get a visa.

Step 3: Apply for a Chinese Visa

Though you can pay different agencies to do the work, I just filled out the online form to apply for a Chinese visa as a US citizen.

The online form was pretty straightforward, but one thing I got wrong was how much to ask for.

I had no idea how long of a business visa to ask for, so I conservatively asked for a single-entry, 3 month visa with a 30 day stay.

Thankfully the Chinese embassy actually ended up giving me a multiple-entry, 10 year visa with a 3 month stay each time.

Other than that, here are some other tips for your application:

• Headshot Photo: You cannot wear earrings in your photo.
• Previous Visas (only if you’ve previously gotten a Chinese visa): I visited Shanghai as a teenager, so I had a Chinese visa from the past. Therefore, I had to ask my family to take a photo of my old passport and my old visa in the application.

During the Canton Fair

A. Plan which suppliers to visit using the app

Basically the morning before I got to the fair, I would go on the Canton Fair app and look up suppliers in given product categories.

I would add them to my itinerary, then it has this function where it tells you which order to visit the suppliers in, which was super handy.

In addition, in the itinerary plan you can also add notes and mark certain suppliers as visited, which is super hand.

(You have access to the app pretty much forever after the fair, it seems.)

Remember, this expo is huge! So it will definitely help to look at one product category fully before moving on (they suppliers are grouped by category).

Pro Tip: Ask the info desks if you get lost! Most of the reps were super helpful and it was easy to converse in English. It’s a bit confusing at first to figure out which suppliers are on which floors, areas and buildings.

B. How to assess suppliers at the expo

Bring your samples or bring screenshots/ChatGPT renders/sketches to make the conversation more worthwhile.

1. Product Quality: How do their products look? How is the finishing?
2. Customers: Have you worked with notable customers? Often suppliers will have logo images of notable customers in their expo banners, so don’t be shy about taking photos.
3. Duration of Business: How long has the supplier been in business?
4. Capacity: What is the factory’s capacity in producing goods? Do they have multiple factories? How many production lines do they have?
5. Your Product/Idea: Show them your sample, or an image of your vision. Can they make this?
6. Minimum Order Quantity: What’s your MOQ? Can I split the MOQ across multiple colorways for the same design?
7. Sample Process: What’s your sample process? How long would it take? How much would it cost for my product?
8. Unit Price: What’s the ballpark unit price for my product at which quantities?
9. Factory Visit: If you’re satisfied and interested to further assess this supplier, then ask if a factory visit is possible and schedule one.
10. Contact Info: Collect their contact info and add a rep on WeChat. In case you lose your WeChat, it’s still useful to take business cards.

Visiting Factories

You’ve met dozens of suppliers and have scheduled visits with about 10.

Here’s what to assess and ask while visiting a factory.

1. Capacity
   • How many production lines do you have?
   • Is business good or bad these days? Then count how many machines/tables are being used to get your % of current used capacity. It’s good if a factory is doing well. But if they are at or close to capacity, then it will take longer for this supplier to fulfill your order.
2. Production Line Working Conditions
   • Lighting: Is the lighting bright enough so that workers can see their objects clearly?
   • Ventilation: Are there any harsh chemical smells? Are there fans and are they on?
   • Age of Workers: Are the workers experienced? Are they younger? Are they underage?
3. Sample Making: Ask to visit the sample making area, where there is a more manual production line for making sample goods.
   • Are there a lot of people working here? That would mean business is good (though during the Canton Fair it will be busier).
   • Is there a machine to print the line drawings for samples?
4. QC
   • Is there a QC checkpoint at multiple places? Such as throughout the production line and before packing?
   • Are there QC machines? Such as for testing materials like fabrics, and for testing the color of fabrics? Or for testing zipper strength and strap strength? Larger scale and more professional factories often have a dedicated space for testing.
5. Your Product
   • Can you make this product? See if they can connect you go a sample maker or a master within the factory.
   • What’s the MOQ?
   • How much would the sample cost?
   • What’s the ballpark unit price? At how many units?
   • How long would it take to make the MOQ right now? How long would it take to make the products? (For example, it might take 1 week to actually make your products, but there might be a 3 week wait before production can start due to other orders, resulting in a wait time of 4 weeks for busier factories.)

Ultimate Guide to the Canton Fair

Thanks for checking out my ultimate guide to the Canton Fair!