Maximizing Your Experience at the 138th Canton Fair

What is the Canton Fair?

The Canton Fair is China’s flagship B2B trade show, held twice a year (spring & autumn) at the Pazhou (Canton Fair) Complex in Guangzhou. It brings together virtually every consumer and light-industrial category across three phases, each tailored to specific industries. Attending buyers can pre-register online and collect a multi-session buyer badge onsite.

2025 Autumn (138th) Onsite Schedule

• Phase 1: Oct 15–19, 2025

Focus: Consumer electronics, household electricals, lighting, electronic & electrical products, hardware, tools.

• Phase 2: Oct 23–27, 2025

Focus: Ceramics, household items, kitchen & tableware, weaving/rattan/iron, gardening, home decor, gifts & premiums, glass/art ceramics, clocks/watches/optics, building & decorative materials, sanitary & bathroom, furniture.

• Phase 3: Oct 31–Nov 4, 2025

Focus: Home textiles, carpets, apparel, footwear, bags & cases, fashion accessories, textiles & fabrics, food, sports & travel goods, medicines & health products/medical devices, pet products & food, toiletries & personal care, office supplies, toys, kids’ wear, baby & maternity products.

Booth teardown/setup windows: Oct 20–22 and Oct 28–30, 2025 (between the phases). Plan supplier factory visits on these buffer days.

Why Attend Canton Fair 2025?

Benefits in 60 Seconds

• Speed to Supplier: Meet 20–40 factories per day. Compare quotes live and request on-the-spot samples.

• Price Discovery: Transparent benchmarking across dozens of booths in one aisle.

• MoQ & Customization: Discuss molds, private label, compliance, packaging, and delivery in person.

• Supply-Chain Resilience: Build multi-vendor options to hedge risk and reduce single-source dependency.

  
  

How ZJELL Maximizes Your ROI at the Canton Fair 2025

ZJELL’s sourcing teams (India • Hong Kong • China • Vietnam • Thailand) plug into your visit before, during, and after the show so you leave with qualified suppliers—not just brochures.

A) Before the Fair (T-3 to T-0 Weeks)

• Requirements Freeze + BOM Brief: Translate your product specs, compliance (CE/UL/REACH/RoHS/FDA), target landed cost, and MoQs into a supplier-ready Sourcing Brief.

• Phase Mapping & Route Plan: Pick the right phase, shortlist 30–60 booths, and sequence a hall-by-hall walking route with meeting slots.

• Supplier Pre-Vetting: Conduct background checks (years in business, capacity, export markets, HS codes, certifications), blacklist scans, and initial price sanity checks.

• Paperwork & Access: Assist with buyer registration, invitation letters, and badge collection guidance.

  
  

B) Onsite Support (Guangzhou)

• Bilingual Negotiators: ZJELL buyers join your meetings to clarify specs, negotiate MoQs, tooling, payment terms, and incoterms (FOB/CIF/DDP).

• Rapid Quote Matrix: Live entry of quotes/specs into a comparison sheet (lead time, unit price by tier, mold/tooling costs, defect policies).

• QC & Compliance Screen: We flag red flags early (sub-contracting risk, unrealistic lead times, missing audit/certification).

• Sample Plan: Arrange same-day sample requests and courier consolidation to your hotel or to ZJELL’s Guangzhou hub.

  
  

C) Factory Due Diligence (Between Phases & Post-Fair)

• Factory Audits: Capability, social & environmental checks; production line photos; trial-run feasibility.

• Golden Sample + TDS/MSDS: Lock specifications and approve pre-production samples.

• Pilot PO & QA: AQL plans, inline/PSI inspections, packaging tests (drop/compression), labeling & barcodes.

• Shipping & Finance: Consolidation, multi-vendor LCL, duty/tax estimates, and documentation pack (CI/PL/BL/COO/test reports).

  
  

What to Source in Each Phase

Phase 1

Smart IoT appliances, LED lighting, power tools, EV chargers/components, small electronics accessories.

Phase 2

Giftable homeware, festive decor, ceramic dinnerware, sanitary fittings, architectural hardware, living-room furniture.

Phase 3

Athleisure & streetwear capsules, fashion accessories, home textiles, beauty & personal care (private label), toys & stationery bundles, pet-care SKUs.

(ZJELL can pair consumer-market ideas with our low-cost country sourcing playbooks and private-label packaging workflows.)

Your 2-Day “Win the Fair” Plan

Day 1 (AM): Top 15 suppliers in your priority aisle → shortlist 5.

Day 1 (PM): Deep dives with the 5; request samples; align MoQs and target landed cost.

Day 2 (AM): Visit 2–3 alternates + new categories for innovation pipeline.

Day 2 (PM): Confirm golden sample plan, documentation list, audit dates, and pilot PO timelines.

Data You’ll Take Home with ZJELL:

• Quote matrix (tier prices, MoQs, tooling, payment terms, lead times).

• Supplier risk scores and compliance snapshots.

• Confirmed next steps: samples in transit, audit calendar, pilot PO draft.

  
  

Practicalities: Registration, Badge & Hours

• Register Online: via the Buyer Service System, upload passport photo, company details, and pre-register your Buyer Badge (multi-entry, reusable for future sessions).

• Badge Pickup: At the fair complex green line or designated partner locations.

• Opening Hours: 09:30–18:00 daily during each phase.

  
  

What to Bring: Checklist

• Product requirement sheets & drawings, target price bands, packaging specs.

• Samples (if you’re asking for duplication), Pantone codes, certifications needed.

• Rolling suitcase, power bank, comfortable shoes, plenty of business cards.

• A simple NDA and a Supplier Meeting Form (ZJELL provides templates).

  
  

Post-Fair: From Quotes to Contracts with ZJELL

• Commercial Wrap-Up: Normalize quotes to landed cost (FOB/CIF/DDP), duty & GST modeling for India/UAE/EU/US.

• Compliance & QA: Testing plans (e.g., CE/UKCA/UL/REACH), factory audits, and AQL inspection schedules.

• Pilot PO: Contract terms, IP clauses, exclusivity (where feasible), and escalation paths.

• Logistics: Multi-vendor consolidation, carton optimization, shipping docs, and customs brokerage handoff.

  
  

FAQs

Q1: Is two days enough?

Yes—if you pre-shortlist and follow a tight route. ZJELL typically compresses first-contact + quote capture into 1.5–2 days, then uses the buffer days for audits/factory visits.

Q2: Can ZJELL support private label & compliance?

Absolutely—tooling, molds, packaging, barcode/labeling, and third-party testing (SGS/TÜV/Intertek) are standard parts of our workflow.

Q3: I can’t travel. Can ZJELL attend for me?

Yes. We run proxy sourcing missions: video-recorded booth visits, real-time pricing sheets, live calls with suppliers, and couriered sample kits.

Q4: When should I book?

Now. The fair opens Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025; prime factory audit slots around Oct 20–22 and Oct 28–30 fill quickly.

Work with ZJELL at the 138th Canton Fair

• Pre-Fair Sprint (7–10 Days): Requirements → shortlist → meetings calendar.

• Onsite (Your Dates): Negotiation, quote matrix, sampling, compliance screen.

• After (2–4 Weeks): Audits, golden samples, pilot PO, inspections, and shipments.

  
  

Ready to maximize your Canton Fair trip? Tell us your product list, target prices, and preferred phase—and our Guangzhou desk will build your custom plan.