Canton Fair Phase 2 2026: Plan Guangzhou and Yiwu
The 140th Canton Fair (Autumn 2026 session) runs from 15 October to 4 November 2026, according to the official notice published by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (https://sg.mofcom.gov.cn/scxx/zyzh/art/2026/art_58976017894e4b4ca7df4075fb9960ef.html, queried 2026-09-16). That is 29 days from today. For a first-time buyer, the value of this fair is not only what you see on the stand — it is how you sequence the trip so that Guangzhou and Yiwu work together.
Why Phase 2 Matters for Home and Kitchen Buyers
Phase 2 of the Canton Fair is the home and kitchen segment: household goods, home decoration, daily-use ceramics and kitchenware. If your catalogue sits in those categories, Phase 2 is the part of the fair where you will spend most of your time.
A practical point for first-time visitors: the fair is a meeting and sampling venue, not a production base. Most exhibitors are manufacturers and trading companies from across China. What you collect in Guangzhou is contacts, catalogues and quotations — not usually finished orders.
The Two Entry Routes Buyers Ask About Most
Two different visa-free arrangements apply to China right now, and they do not include each other. Mixing them up is the most common planning error.
Route 1 — unilateral visa-free entry (30 days). Under the unilateral visa-free policy, holders of ordinary passports travelling to China for business, tourism, family visits, exchange visits or transit for no more than 30 days may enter without a visa; those who do not meet the conditions still need to obtain a visa before entry. The stay period is counted from 00:00 of the day after entry. This arrangement is currently extended until 31 December 2026.
The 11 countries covered are not all the same arrangement, and it is worth being precise about this:
- Unilateral visa-free (9 countries): four GCC states — Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain — plus five South American countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, and Uruguay.
- Mutual visa-exemption agreements (2 countries): the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. These are bilateral agreements, not a unilateral Chinese policy.
The shared condition across all 11 is the same: ordinary passport, entry for business, tourism, family visits, exchange visits or transit, not exceeding 30 days.
Route 2 — 240-hour transit visa-free (57 countries). The 240-hour transit visa-free arrangement covers 57 countries, following the most recent expansion on 20 August 2026, which added Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam. The distribution is 40 European countries, 6 in the Americas, 2 in Oceania and 9 in Asia. The permitted stay is 240 hours (10 days), counted from 00:00 of the day after entry, and it may not be exceeded.
This route is not available to everyone. Transit means the traveller is passing through China to a third country or region — the origin country and the destination country must be different, so origin ≠ China ≠ destination. You must present a valid passport or other international travel document valid for at least three months, a confirmed connecting ticket to a third country or region with a fixed date and seat within 240 hours, and a temporary entry card, and you must submit to border inspection examination and questioning. Without a confirmed connecting ticket booked before entry, temporary entry formalities cannot be processed.
During the stay, tourism, business, visits and family visits are permitted; work, study and news reporting require a visa obtained in advance, and activities inconsistent with the stated purpose of entry are not allowed.
Which Latin American Markets Fit Which Route
Among South American and Latin American countries, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile are on the 240-hour transit visa-free list; Peru and Uruguay are not on that list, but they do fall under the 30-day unilateral visa-free arrangement. Mexico has no 30-day visa-free arrangement — transit visa-free is its only visa-free route into China.
A Note for Buyers in Africa
No African country is on the 240-hour transit visa-free list of 57 countries — zero. Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia are all outside it. No African country appears on the 30-day unilateral visa-free list either.
This does not close the route. African buyers travel to China on a business (M) visa, and they continue to come to Yiwu in volume. The invitation letter for an M visa is normally issued by the buyer's Chinese supplier or partner — not by us. We do not provide invitation letters or visa assistance.
Where Yiwu Fits Into the Trip
Yiwu Airport is one of the ports of entry open to the 240-hour transit visa-free arrangement. In Zhejiang Province, the permitted area of activity is the entire provincial administrative region, and travellers may move across provincial borders within 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Zhejiang has six eligible ports: Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Wenzhou Longwan International Airport, Yiwu Airport, Wenzhou Port (passenger) and Zhoushan Port (passenger).
For a buyer combining Guangzhou with Yiwu, that means the two cities can sit inside one itinerary. Note the cross-province rule: activity is permitted across 24 provinces, and some provinces restrict it to named cities — Shanxi to Taiyuan and Datong, Heilongjiang to Harbin, Jiangxi to Nanchang and Jingdezhen, Guangxi to 12 cities, Sichuan to 11 cities, Yunnan to 9 prefectures.
One administrative obligation applies to everyone: accommodation must be registered in accordance with the law. In a hotel, the hotel's own registration rules apply. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel, you or your host must report temporary accommodation to the local public security station within 24 hours of check-in. Failure to register is subject to legal penalty.
Timing the Trip Around the Fair
The fair runs 15 October to 4 November 2026. Phase 2 — the home and kitchen segment — is the part most relevant to buyers in our categories. Chinese supplier schedules tighten around the fair period, and sample production and quotation turnaround can slow accordingly. That is a scheduling effect on suppliers, not a change to shipping terms.
Two practical steps before you book flights:
Verify the supplier's legal identity. China's official enterprise credit information disclosure system, operated under the State Administration for Market Regulation, publishes registration and filing information, annual reports, administrative licences and penalties, and abnormal operating status. You can search by company name or unified social credit code at https://www.gsxt.gov.cn/corp-query-homepage.html (queried 2026-09-16).
Check customs credit status. Under the customs credit management measures, Chinese enterprises are graded as advanced certified enterprise, certified enterprise, general enterprise, dishonest enterprise and seriously dishonest enterprise. Advanced certified and certified enterprises are China's Authorized Economic Operators (AEO), and customs publishes credit grades and related information (queried 2026-09-16).
How Novel Home Goods Fits In
We are Yiwu Ruiheart Trading Co., Ltd., trading under the brand Novel Home Goods. We are a sourcing agent and export trader based in Yiwu — not a factory, with no production lines of our own. Our role is to source in China against your requirements, compare prices, check goods and arrange export. Our quotation basis is FOB Yiwu, tax excluded.
If you want to see goods before committing to a flight, we can arrange a live video call — at the local market, our warehouse or a partner factory — during which you see the goods and the packing on camera. Calls are by appointment, and we ask you to send the list of items you want to see in advance so we can prepare.
Visits to Yiwu are by appointment. Send us your planned dates and the products or factories you want to see, and we will confirm arrangements before you travel and tell you whether to come to our office or our warehouse address. Certificates are issued by our partner factories; we verify them against your target market requirements, such as CE, SABER or NOM, and certificates and test reports are available on request.
Commission depends on order size — contact us for a quote.
Policy status
- This arrangement is currently in effect until 31 December 2026 (2026-12-31; policy checked 16 September 2026).
Policies can change. Please confirm with your local Chinese embassy or consulate before travelling.
Policy status
- This arrangement is currently in effect until 31 December 2026 (2026-12-31; policy checked 16 September 2026).
Policies can change. Please confirm with your local Chinese embassy or consulate before travelling.
Sources
- F-VISA-0012 — China Consular Service Network (MFA) · National Immigration Administration (NIA) · https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1731154/content.html · https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zytz/202607/t20260721_11988625.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0010 — Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0001 — National Immigration Administration (NIA) · Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office · The State Council of the PRC (gov.cn) · https://wsb.sh.gov.cn/ztzl/lstx/20260820/f4b8510709544ce8a06ef9978055bed9.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0003 — Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0009 — China Consular Service Network (MFA) · Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office · https://wsb.sh.gov.cn/ztzl/lstx/20260820/f4b8510709544ce8a06ef9978055bed9.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-VISA-0019 — Official source (visa policy) · https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zytz/202607/t20260721_11988625.html · https://sa.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsfw/lsbtz/202505/t20250528_11635542.htm · https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/wjbzwfwpt/kzx/tzgg/202504/t20250414_11594222.html · https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/lgk1/201812/t20181214_831234.shtml · https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741577/c1731154/content.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0007 — Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office · https://wsb.sh.gov.cn/ztzl/lstx/20260820/f4b8510709544ce8a06ef9978055bed9.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0002 — Zhejiang Provincial Government · Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://www.zj.gov.cn/art/2024/12/18/art_1229823372_60250059.html · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-VISA-0005 — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China (MFA) · https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/wjbzwfwpt/kzx/tzgg/202504/t20250414_11594222.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0005 — Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0004 — Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0006 — Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0011 — Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office · Zhejiang Provincial Government · https://wsb.sh.gov.cn/ztzl/lstx/20260820/f4b8510709544ce8a06ef9978055bed9.html · https://www.zj.gov.cn/art/2024/12/18/art_1229823372_60250059.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-T-0013 — Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Montreal · https://montreal.china-consulate.gov.cn/zjfw/lszj/fhqz/cjwd2/202505/t20250530_11637915.htm — checked 2026-09-16
- F-TRUST-0001 — State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) · The State Council of the PRC (gov.cn) · https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2014-08/23/content_9038.htm · https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2023/art_78b9a2a2399e4934b288da28e67e66ba.html · https://www.jiangmen.gov.cn/bmpd/jmsscjdglj/ztzl/kbqy/kbqyqjlct/content/post_2895884.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-TRUST-0002 — The State Council of the PRC (gov.cn) · General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) · https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/2026/issue_12746/202605/content_7069427.html · http://big5.www.gov.cn/gate/big5/www.gov.cn/gongbao/2026/issue_12746/202605/content_7069427.html — checked 2026-09-16
- F-SVC-0001 — Company confirmation (first-hand, verified with staff) — checked 2026-09-16
- F-SVC-0002 — Company confirmation (first-hand, verified with staff) — checked 2026-09-16
- F-SVC-0014 — Company confirmation (first-hand, verified with staff) — checked 2026-09-16
- F-SVC-0015 — Company confirmation (first-hand, verified with staff) — checked 2026-09-16