The tides of the Pearl River surge as global merchants gather once again. On October 19, the first phase of the 138th Canton Fair successfully concluded. By the end of the phase, 157,946 overseas buyers from 222 countries and regions had attended the fair in person — a 6.3% year-on-year increase.

Walking through the exhibition halls, one can feel waves of innovation and currents of collaboration flowing in every direction.

From the smart distribution hub at Nansha Port to futuristic tech-driven displays, from compliance consultations to bustling booths where deals are signed on-site — the Canton Fair, known as “China’s No. 1 Exhibition,” once again demonstrated the resilience and vitality of Chinese manufacturing, injecting much-needed certainty into an uncertain global economy.

Innovation Leads the Way: From “Product Export” to “Value Export”

“This new product is our attempt to break traditional experience boundaries — it integrates the core thrill of paragliding to recreate a true sense of weightlessness,” said Lin Liqi, head of Guangzhou Shadow Engine Electronic Technology, while presenting her company’s latest innovation to a crowd of international buyers.

The product combines special effects technology with interactive gaming, offering a multi-sensory immersive experience — “Users not only enjoy visual and auditory effects but can also smell flowers, feel simulated wind, and even the sensation of water splashing on their face,” Lin explained.

Innovation has become the defining theme of this year’s Canton Fair — a vivid reflection of how Chinese companies are shifting from competing on price to competing on value.

During the five-day exhibition, Lin’s product became one of the fair’s hottest attractions, drawing constant crowds. Several customers even placed down payments on-site, forming preliminary partnerships. “We’ve seen strong interest from buyers in the Middle East, Europe, and South America,” Lin noted. “The results far exceeded our expectations.”

Shenzhen Yimi Technology Co., Ltd. also gained popularity through innovation. Its AI gimbal camera not only delivers 4K dual-lens imaging but also features AI human-tracking and AI auto-script generation.

“Users simply input their shooting content and select an AI engine to automatically generate scripts, dramatically lowering the barrier for video creation,” said Pu Xiangbo, company representative. The product won the Silver CF Design Award at the fair. All demo units sold out during the event, with strong interest from South American buyers.

Matthew Mayvers, General Manager of CATER-KWIK, has attended the Canton Fair for 20 years. Returning after a five-year hiatus, he was impressed by the scale of innovation.

“In the UK, our biggest costs are energy and labor. But here, I’ve seen countless robotic solutions — like the 24/7 coffee robot — that can significantly reduce labor costs,” he said. Visiting the service robot pavilion for the first time, he added: “In the past, we went to the U.S. for innovation. Not anymore — now it’s all here, in China, at the Canton Fair!”

According to data from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, China’s mechanical and electrical exports reached $1.4758 trillion in the first eight months of this year, up 8.1% year-on-year, accounting for 60.2% of total goods exports — with growth outpacing overall exports for 14 consecutive months.

Behind these figures lies a powerful transformation — from quantity to quality, from product export to value export — marking a new chapter for Chinese manufacturing.

Strategic Transformation: From “Going Global” to “Growing Steadily and Sustainably”

“At our trade service booth each year, we notice that companies’ focus has shifted from ‘how to go global’ to ‘how to go global stably and sustainably,’” said Chen Zhuoyang, Vice President of Zhuozhi Group.

He observed that this year, global buyers were far more detailed in their questions about certification and market access. “Compliance is no longer about post-event fixes — it now runs through the entire supply chain,” Chen emphasized.

This shift, he believes, “is no longer just a trade threshold but the core touchstone for whether Chinese manufacturers can truly achieve localized overseas operations and deeply integrate into global markets.”

At the same time, companies are pursuing greater supply chain certainty. Chen shared an example of a U.S. DTC client for whom his team managed a full logistics chain — from multiple factories in Vietnam and Cambodia, consolidated at Nansha distribution center, air-shipped to the U.S., cleared, and delivered — all within 10 days, achieving a seamless “door-to-door” solution.

This kind of deep integration strategy is also evident at Henan Hesu Industrial Co., Ltd., a pickup truck distributor selling 3,000–4,000 units annually. “We’ve established subsidiaries and warehouses in Belarus, Ghana, and Dubai, and are preparing expansion into Ethiopia,” said Wang Yunqing, the company’s director. Their rugged terrain pickup trucks drew strong attention from Algerian and Middle Eastern buyers at the fair.

Global Impact: The Canton Fair Injects Stability into the World Economy

“The surge of customers from South America and North Africa this year has strengthened our confidence in expanding emerging markets,” said Zou Pengcheng, Business Manager of Zhejiang Jin’aolan Machine Tool Co., Ltd., a national-level “Little Giant” specialized enterprise. It was his third time attending the Canton Fair. “Even with language barriers, when clients from North Africa and South America see our machines in person, their trust and confidence grow significantly.”

On the first day alone, the company received numerous genuine inquiries from Southeast Asia and Africa, with more than ten groups of buyers scheduling post-fair factory visits.

Dang Tiansheng, General Manager of Changchun Flying Eagle Laser Equipment Co., Ltd., shared similar experiences. “Because we can meet customized requirements, a client from Kazakhstan placed an order right on-site,” he said. Laser equipment often requires repeated contact before purchase, but this time, both industrial and consumer-grade products attracted strong interest from buyers in Russia, Kazakhstan, India, and Uganda. In just five years, the company has leveraged the Canton Fair to build a rapid international presence.

From impressive first-day sales to growth-defying trade data and win-win collaborations, the Canton Fair continues to prove its enduring role as China’s foreign trade barometer and weather vane.

It is now more than a trading platform — it has become a hub for idea exchange, strategic alignment, and confidence building.

Here, Chinese enterprises are sailing steadily into the global blue ocean — with innovation as their vessel and compliance as their oar.

From “going out” to “going in,” from “selling products” to “building brands,” from “chasing orders” to “building channels” — through the window of the 138th Canton Fair, the world has witnessed a more open, innovative, and resilient China.

After 67 years, the Canton Fair remains vibrant and youthful, bridging China and the world, today and the future, and continuously injecting stability and certainty into the global economy — writing a new chapter of openness, cooperation, and shared prosperity.