Canton fair Phase 1, from April 15-20. we are waiting for you at 9.1L15.

Guide To The Canton Fair – China’s Largest Wholesale Supplier Trade Show

How Much Does It Cost And Is It Worth Going?

Attending the Canton Fair is free. However you do have to get a visa to visit China and you have to pay for airfare and hotel. All told, your expenses will probably not exceed $3-4K.

But is it worth going?

Absolutely! If you’ve been doing your product sourcing via Alibaba, you probably already know that going back forth between vendors is extremely time consuming.

How Do I Attend?

In order to attend the fair, you first have to register on the Canton Fair website. After you register, you will receive an invitation which you must use to get a visa into China.

Technically, you should get a business visa but you can also buy a tourist visa which does not require that you show an invitation to the fair.

Overall, a Chinese visa doesn’t cost that much ($160 or so) and I recommend that you purchase the 10 year visa if you ever plan on going more than once.

Because there are only a handful of places around the country that can issue you a visa in person, I recommend that you use a China visa service in your area.

The visa process doesn’t take that long but please allow up to 3 weeks to get it. Then once you have your visa, you can buy a plane ticket to China and grab your name badge at the fair.

In terms of flights, you should book early and fly into the Guangzhou International Airport. This past year my wife and I booked too late and the airline tickets were ridiculously priced.

Attendance Guide for Overseas Buyers of the 123rd Canton Fair (English) .pdf