Canton Fair: phase 2 runs to 27 October, phase 3 from 31 October; how Kenyan buyers register

The 140th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, holds its second phase in Guangzhou from 23 October, and the third phase starts on 31 October. Overseas buyers, including Kenyan traders who import from China, can still register for either.

Kenyans travelling on ordinary passports need a Chinese visa to attend. Kenya is not on China's unilateral visa-free list, which lets ordinary passport holders from 50 countries stay up to 30 days without a visa; the National Immigration Administration's list is dated 17 February 2026.

Visa applications are handled by the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Nairobi (visaforchina.cn/NBO3_EN), on the seventh floor of The Chancery, Valley Road, Milimani. The applicant fills in the form online, then submits the passport and documents at the centre in person, gives biometric information such as fingerprints and pays the fee. The passport needs at least six months' validity and two blank adjacent pages. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya has extended reduced visa fees to 31 December 2026: Kenyan nationals pay KSh 3,000 for a single-entry visa valid for three months and KSh 9,000 for a 12-month multiple-entry visa.

Phase 2, themed "quality home life", runs from 23 to 27 October. Phase 3, themed "better life", runs from 31 October to 4 November. The fair is closed from 28 to 30 October, according to the Ministry of Commerce's introduction to the session, posted on 22 July 2026 by the commercial office of the Chinese Embassy in Grenada.

Xinhua reported on 19 October, when phase 1 ended, that 189,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions had attended, up 13.3 per cent on the same point of the previous session.

Phase 2's sections include ceramics, kitchenware, household and home decor, glassware, gardening, gifts, clocks and optical instruments, building materials, bathroom equipment, furniture, fashion jewellery and prefabricated houses.

Phase 3's sections include toys and baby products, apparel and footwear, textiles and bags, office supplies, food, medicines and medical devices, personal care, sports and recreation, pet products, rural vitalisation and intelligent healthcare. Phase 1, themed "advanced manufacturing", ran from 15 to 19 October and covered machinery, vehicles, electronics and appliances, lighting, hardware and tools, among other sections.

More than 30,000 exhibitors are expected over the three phases, about 2,800 of them Canton Fair brand exhibitors, the ministry said. The fair is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Guangdong provincial government and organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre.

The fair's Overseas Buyer Badge Pre-registration Guide, issued by its Hong Kong Representative Office on 30 July 2026 and hosted on cantonfair.org.cn, sets out the steps. A buyer registers at buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/index with an email address, unless they already hold an account in the fair's earlier BEST system, which has been moved to the new one.

The buyer then chooses an ID document type and uploads a photo of it. The guide lists a foreign passport among the accepted documents. Next comes company information: the buyer searches for the company by country or region and name, and creates a new entry if it is not found. After verifying the email address, the buyer applies under "Canton Fair Badges" and "Overseas Buyer Badge".

Once submitted, the status shows "to be reviewed" and a badge number appears. To collect the badge, the buyer shows the QR code, the original ID document and a company business card, which can be a photocopy or electronic copy.

Holders of a foreign passport can also collect badges at several other places: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Pazhou Ferry Terminal, Guangzhou South Railway Station, the overseas buyers' registration offices at the fair complex, some Guangzhou hotels, and the Hong Kong office. As of the guide's date, the hotel list had not been announced and the railway station was still to be confirmed.

The Ministry of Commerce introduction says new overseas buyers who pre-register online can get badges free of charge at alternative buyer registration offices. Pre-registration is open all year.

Only after the badge application can a buyer apply in the system for an invitation letter, which can be printed or downloaded in a choice of languages.

The Hong Kong office prints badges on site during office hours. The guide asks buyers to email [email protected] to book an appointment. The office is at Room 3106-07, 31/F, Office Tower, Convention Plaza, No. 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, telephone +852 2838 3278.

The fair's attendance guide for overseas buyers is at cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/pages/598494791797825536.