More than 278,000 international buyers crowded the Pazhou complex in Guangzhou for the Export Fair, testing foreign trade health against severe domestic price wars and industrial overproduction. Equipment manufacturers used the exhibition halls to target overseas markets where costly fossil fuels and unstable power grids make energy storage an absolute necessity.
Marking its 70th anniversary since its founding in the spring of 1957, the Canton Fair is celebrating its milestone 140th edition as a twice-yearly autumn and spring event. Organizers noted that the ongoing session has drawn participants from more than 220 countries and regions, growing from just 1,200 enterprises in its early years to over 26,000 participating enterprises today.
Richard Sikora, executive managing director of XXXLutz Business Services Company, noted that his firm cannot skip the event, calling it a must-attend twice a year to source new ideas, new products, and new suppliers. Founded in 1945, XXXLutz operates roughly 370 stores across 14 European countries and typically sources kitchenware, decorative items, and furniture at the fair, alongside increasing direct imports of baby products in recent years. Sikora praised China’s supply chain effectiveness, stating that material availability is much easier to secure there than in Southeast Asia or India.
Zhejiang Era Solar Technology and Felicity Solar Target Overseas Power Gaps
According to Xu Leiping, each panel covers about 1.5 square metres and weighs roughly 2 kilograms, compared with about 14 kilograms for a conventional panel of the same size. Xu, deputy general manager of sales at Zhejiang Era Solar Technology, noted that the company began marketing a newly engineered lightweight solar panel tailored for balcony installations as exhibitors reported strong demand from regions grappling with energy insecurity. The firm plans to unveil its next-generation solar module in March, relying on rapid technical upgrades and manufacturing scale as its core competitive advantage.
Lin Yanbang, a product manager at Guangzhou-based Felicity Solar, pointed out that demand is surging across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Industrial applications drew similar attention.
Lin also noted that the planned removal of China’s 6 per cent export tax rebate on batteries starting next year had spurred exporters to boost shipments ahead of that deadline.
Jiangsu Photovoltaic Industry Association Data Shows Surging Global Demand
EnergyTrend, a green energy research organisation, reported recently that overseas orders—primarily from Europe and the Middle East—made up 93 per cent of the contracts for ready-to-install storage systems signed by Chinese suppliers in the third quarter of this year.
Exhibitors at the exhibition stated that demand originating from Asia, Africa, and Latin America was directly translating into confirmed orders, with one client from Ghana placing a trial order for 200 units on the spot based entirely on a design deck without inspecting a physical prototype, brochure, or promotional video.
Canton Fair Watch: How Chinese Service Robots Take Root Overseas?October 15, the 140th Canton Fair officially kicked off. Now in its 70th birthday, the fair welcomed over 30,000 exhibiting companies and around 340,000 overseas buyers. Among its exhibition zones, the Service… pic.twitter.com/kTwwTxvsLq
Li Ziqin, sales manager at Shenzhen Ruidian Green Energy Technology, stated that the company’s overseas sales were projected to double to roughly 200 million yuan this year, with specific markets in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region expected to record growth rates of 200 to 300 per cent. Manufacturers are reorganizing their operations to chase these high-growth regions.
Liang Yutian, associate dean of the Institute of International and Regional Studies at Sun Yat-sen University, said the concentrated display of new energy, energy storage equipment, and green home appliances reflects a global green transition forming entirely new market demand.
Record Turnout and Industrial Innovation at the Pazhou Complex
Registered overseas buyers surpassed 278,000 from 218 countries and regions—a 13.4 percent jump over the equivalent period in the prior session—as the autumn session’s early phases drew record participation. Organizers added that buyers from Brazil and the United States registered notable growth, describing the fair as a vital trade bridge connecting distant lands.
At today’s Canton Fair, consumer electronics are the dominant category, and tech products such as new energy storage, embodied intelligence and smart healthcare are eye-catching, with many cutting-edge Chinese-made products making their debut.
Zhang Li, Canton Fair organizer
Across all exhibition categories, 64 percent of exhibitors integrated artificial intelligence and the industrial internet into production and research, pushing new product exhibits to a record 23.2 percent share. The third phase of the 140th session opened under the theme “Better Life,” occupying 515,000 square meters across 25,000 booths with over 12,000 participating enterprises, including more than 3,100 high-quality suppliers.
Meanwhile, specialized and innovative enterprises reached about 3,600 companies, marking an increase of roughly 7.6 percent from the previous year, while patented products accounted for a quarter of all items on display across nearly 180 product launch events.
Huizhou-based specialized-new manufacturer SpaRelax Co., Ltd. exhibited one endless pool and three smart hot-and-cold tubs at Booth 9.0-B09-11 during Phase 2, highlighting its capacity for large-scale 3D printing of full 1:1 moulds within three days and its self-developed LCD smart colour SPA control system integrating Bluetooth, Wi-Fi remote control, and energy-saving heat pumps. Other industrial sectors reported equally brisk activity during the event.
Huo Yiyan, a marketing director at Prance, noted that the company successfully closed 12 or 13 orders during the fair alongside three major pending orders valued at over 10 million yuan each, driving their performance so far in 2026 to already match their full-year results for 2025.
Reflecting on the economic environment of the exhibition, Jensen noted that China’s comprehensive, stable, and efficient supply chains offer a particularly valuable source of certainty in an uncertain world.