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Why British businesses should attend the 133rd Canton Fair

Join CBBC’s webinar with the Canton Fair on 12 April to find out why UK businesses should attend this year’s fair

The China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair (“广交会”), was established in the spring of 1957, playing a key role in advancing economic and trade exchanges between China and the rest of the world. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of PRC and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and organised by China Foreign Trade Centre, it is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China.

The 133rd Canton Fair will be held during April and May 2023 at the Guangzhou Canton Fair Complex. The exhibition will be held in three phases by different product categories, and each phase will last for five days. This is the first offline fair since the start of the pandemic, following six online editions of the fair over the past three years.

Phase 1: 15-19 April
Electronics and home appliances, lighting, vehicles and accessories, machinery, hardware tools, building materials, chemical products and energy.

Phase 2: 23-27 April
Daily consumer goods, gifts and home decoration.

Phase 3: 1-5 May
Textiles and clothing, footwear, office, luggage and leisure products, medicine and health care and food.

To facilitate the attendance of British businesses, the Canton Fair is providing customised service plans with options for flights, hotels, land transportation, business visits, ticketing and meals.

How to get to the Canton Fair

The Canton Fair can be reached by flying directly into Guangzhou or flying into Hong Kong and then travelling onwards to Guangzhou over land.

China Southern Airlines has cooperated with the 133rd Canton Fair to offer special deals for overseas buyers on round-trip tickets to Guangzhou (China Southern flies direct between London and Guangzhou daily). Buyers can enjoy an 8% airfare discount for specified cabins on iChina Southern Airlines flights, as well as exclusive coupons, including lounge access, pre-paid luggage, flight upgrades and seat reservations.

There are a number of ways to get to Guangzhou from Hong Kong International Airport, including shuttle bus via the Shenzhen border, a ferry to Guangzhou Pazhou Ferry Terminal and high-speed train from West Kowloon Railway Station.

For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the following websites:

Bus from Hong Kong International Airport to Guangzhou https://www.hkctgbus.com
Ferry from Hong Kong International Airport to Guangzhou https://www.cksp.com.hk
Train from West Kowloon to Guangzhou https://www.highspeed.mtr.com.hk

Where to stay during the Canton Fair

The Canton Fair recommends the following hotels: The Westin Pazhou, Baiyun Hotel, Asian International Hotel, Shangri-La Guangzhou, Dongfang Hotel, Marriott Tianhe, Landmark Canton, and Soluxe Hotel. All the hotels are within 20km of the fair complex, and most are connected directly by metro. The Westin Pazhou is connected to the Canton Fair Complex Area C.

From 14 April-2 May, the above hotels will offer a registration service for overseas buyers applying for a Buyer Badge for the first time. The service will be available on 14-17 April (8.30am-6pm), 22-24 April (8.30am-6pm), 30 April-1 May (8.30am-6pm) and 2 May (8.30am-2pm).

During the Canton Fair, many hotels will also provide free shuttle bus services to and from the Canton Fair complex. Please contact the hotels for more details.

For more information, please contact Ms Ingrid Deng at the Canton Fair Call Centre: info@cantonfair.org.cn

Register now for CBBC’s Canton Fair Webinar

To provide UK brands with a close look at the 133rd Canton Fair, CBBC is hosting a webinar on 12 April 2023 in conjunction with the fair to introduce the exhibition and answer questions from UK businesses that are interested in attending.

The webinar will cover a macro view of the Great Bay Area opportunities by CBBC South China, an introduction of 133rd Canton Fair by a representative from the Canton Fair (in English), and a case study of successful engagement with the Canton Fair by a UK company.