Due to ongoing global travel restrictions related to the pandemic, China’s Ministry of Commerce decided the Canton Fair in 2020 to be held online for the first time in its 62-year history. And Canton Fair 2021 Autumn, was the first time to be held both online and offline.
What is the Canton Fair?
The Canton Fair is the world’s largest trade fair, attracting over 6 million buyers from more than 200 countries and regions. The Canton Fair has been held in China twice a year since 1957. It was originally a fair for wholesale trade, but now it includes retail and consumer goods as well.
What is the online Canton Fair?
Actually, Covid-19 has impacted the world, and also impacted the Canton Fair since 2020, so no thanks to the global health crisis caused by the Covid-19.
Due to ongoing global travel restrictions related to the pandemic, China’s Ministry of Commerce decided the Canton Fair in 2020 to be held online for the first time in its 62-year history. And Canton Fair 2021 Autumn, was the first time to be held both online and offline.
In the next section, you will find everything you need to know about visiting Canton Fair online during Covid-19. Such as how to get there, how to find incredible products and reliable suppliers.
Why attend the online Canton Fair?
Many people ask if foreigners can currently attend the Canton Fair (as of November 2021), and the short answer is that they actually can’t.
Because China has a strict “zero COVID” policy, which means that visas are extremely difficult to obtain, and even if you do get one, you’ll need to be quarantined in a hotel for 3 weeks (Yes, even if you’ve been vaccinated).
With that said, the Canton Fair will continue to be held for those already in China, but it has been condensed from three phases to one.
As we know, covid-19 affects the world and people’s lives, but life goes on, and your business should be continued, online Canton Fair can help you to find the suppliers and find out something you are interested in.
What are the benefits of the online Canton Fair?
1. Online Advantages
You can go to the fair in a place that is comfortable and you will not need to wait. The product is displayed in a quality way, and your time can be saved.
Online Canton Fair, will bring together foreign buyers from more than 200 countries and regions with more than 10,000 Chinese suppliers on one online platform to further promote bilateral exchanges.
You don’t have to leave home, there isn’t any travel involved or expensive hotel rooms. You also save a lot of money when going online because there will be no visa fee for attending the online Canton Fair.
2. Latest products and technologies
Are you trying to find new products that are not currently on Amazon? You may find ideas on the online Canton Fair. As it is China’s largest trade fair, features an extensive line-up of the latest products, services, and technologies.
Thus, 26,000 suppliers are expected to participate, showing an amazing 2,700,000 products and services. Usually, suppliers will prepare the latest products for the fair to get more orders.
3. Attend anytime & anywhere
Online Canton Fair is very convenient, you can check the information in a short time and find what products you want to buy.
As the platform is open 24 hours every day during its 10-day run, buyers and sellers can join anytime and wherever they are where there’s internet connectivity.
4. Effective communication
Online Canton Fair allows for virtual face-to-face interaction so that parties can communicate and negotiate better and more effectively without the visual and noise distractions of offline activities.
The biggest difference is that you can’t touch and feel the reality of the product in your hands.
When is the Canton Fair 2022 in China?
Canton Fair is usually held in three phases over a three-week period. However, since COVID, it has been condensed into one phase.
1. Canton Fair 2022 spring
Phase 1/2/3 (all phases open concurrently): April 23-27, 2022.
Automotive and Parts, Hardware & Tools (Phase 1) /Consumer goods, Gifts, Home Decorations (Phase 2) /Office Supplies, Sporting & Outdoors(Phase 3)
2. Canton Fair phrases
Phase 1
- Electronics & Household Electrical Appliances
- Lighting Equipment
- Vehicles & Spare Parts
- Machinery
- Hardware & Tools
- Building Materials
- Chemical Products
- International Pavilion
Phase 2
- Consumer Goods
- Gifts
- Home Decorations
Phase 3
- Textiles & Garments
- Shoes
- Office Supplies, Cases & Bags, and Recreation Products
- Medicines, Medical Devices and Health Products
- Food
- International Pavilion
How to attend the online Canton Fair?
1. Have an account and log in
Foreign buyers can register new accounts.
Existing Canton Fair system accounts, or third-party social media one-click login technology to log into the Canton Fair website.
Regular buyers can log in by verifying their badge or ID (passport) number and password.
After registering and logging in, foreign buyers can check the information of concerned enterprises, negotiate enterprises, book enterprises, publish intention orders, Canton Fair buyer cards, and points in the “Personal Center”.
Kindly note that foreign buyers can only browse the home page of the Canton Fair website, and exhibits or live broadcasts of some exhibitors before logging in.
After logging in, they can view more exhibits and live broadcasts, and make operations such as releasing intention orders, contacting exhibitors, and making appointments for online negotiation.
If you are a VIP buyer can enjoy the online VIP service area, and get a special account, and 24-hour round-the-clock artificial intelligent answering service.
2. Let’s have a look at the home page
We can see on the page that you can select the location you want to visit by searching keywords, divided into three categories: “exhibitor, exhibit, booth”.
At the same time, we can also find the relevant exhibition area given on the home page of the official website, so that it is convenient for you to visit selectively.
In the “News & Events” section, we can find the conference schedule, live exhibitors, and show news.
In the Global Matchmaking section, you can learn more as a buyer or go to the Supply and Procurement Hall.
At the bottom of the home page, there is the conference service area, including the financial services, CF award, design services, travel & accommodations, etc.
The whole home page, do you think it is very clear?
As a visitor, you can already clearly see the main style and features of the conference.
It is very convenient for buyers to screen the exhibition area they want to visit, and various service areas are clean and simple to understand.
Participate in the online Canton Fair, do not worry about the time and place restrictions, enjoy watching it!
How to deal with manufacturers on the online Canton Fair?
Online Canton Fair has a lot of exhibitors, you can’t really judge the strength of the supplier quickly. As such, it would be prudent for you to learn about how to negotiate with suppliers in China.
There are many things that you can do to prepare for this event.
1. Make a Buying Strategy & Schedule
Creating a buying strategy and schedule will help you to manage your time effectively.
It is critical that you do not rush yourself in this event, even though there are many things to be done at the same time.
Don’t make an impulsive decision on what product or service to buy from each supplier without having thoroughly researched them first.
This may result in a loss of money because they cannot meet your expectations. Also, don’t forget about the delivery period either!
Having said that, it doesn’t mean that you should only peruse one manufacturer throughout the entire day.
Rather try visiting other manufacturers’ booths too so as not to miss out on any opportunities along the way!
2. Make contacts with suppliers
Create a list of suppliers and start looking into them before the fair opens up again.
Read their websites and see what they make and if it matches what you’re looking for. Contact them and ask if they are free to make a video call or send you something you are concerned about.
Don’t forget to jot down their contact information on your list! This will be very useful when you want to get in touch with suppliers later.
Do not limit yourself by thinking that you must only visit certain manufacturers because their products seem good from reading about them online; explore all possibilities.
3. Start negotiating early
The online Canton fair goes fast so do not put off negotiations until later as it will be too late if you haven’t found what you want to buy.
You can set up appointments with suppliers before or during the fair; it is your choice really, but make sure that when you do meet them in person, they are there and ready to talk business!
If this will be your first time negotiating with a supplier in China (and even if not), we suggest you find a third party to research the supplier again for some tips on how to go.
4. Deal with a good supplier
A good supplier is someone who will give you a lot of information on what they make and if it matches what you want.
They also have a lot of contact information so that you can get in touch with them.
Also, they will provide you with information on how to make specific requests like if you want a special color or size.
You should also be able to get the price range of their products without too much difficulty.
It’s not really an issue since prices are mentioned online anyway, but it is still good that both parties can agree on this!
As for payments and delivery timeframes, ask them about these things before negotiating because there may be hidden costs later.
5. Look at the strength of the factory including the number of workers and the team members
The strength of the factory is important because it will tell you how well they are doing.
It doesn’t really matter if there are small factories or huge ones since both have good and bad parts to them.
The only downside of having a big company is that their prices may be slightly higher than those of smaller companies who can give discounts for bulk orders.
That being said, don’t assume all bigger companies are more expensive!
There are some which offer reasonable rates too so do your research before making judgments on these things!
6. Request a video details guide
When you are negotiating with the supplier if possible try asking for a video guide on how to make their products.
This can be very beneficial because it will show you what goes into making that product and exactly what they do!
Also, this is helpful when something happens later down the road since these videos can help prove your case.
Furthermore, it also helps you to see the overview of their factory, which is really helpful when dealing with a supplier.
7. Request for sample arrangement
When everything goes well on the online canton fair, you should ask for samples to confirm before making an order.
This is important because you want to sell your products. It would be embarrassing for them or yourself if there were any issues with the quality of the product after ordering!
Remember not to rush anything and take your time while looking at each sample. Make sure that everything is up to standard since you don’t want problems later on in the future either!
After all, these factories have their reputation too so try working together amicably whenever possible.
To be honest, arranging a sample before you make an order is very important because it allows you to see the quality of their product.
If they don’t have any samples available, ask for photos and videos instead as these will also give you some idea of how well made their products are.
Also, try requesting them if possible so that there won’t be any problems later with getting what was promised!
Otherwise, paying money without knowing exactly what kind of product or service your supplier provides can lead to future issues.
8. Complete orders
It is important to make sure that the order will be completed in a timely manner.
This can help avoid any issues with delivery and it also shows how well they run their business.
It’s hard to build trust before actually receiving something so we recommend only making an order once everything has been confirmed unless you’re confident in your supplier!
Why is it important to complete orders on time?
If there are delays in getting what was promised, then it may lead to problems later down the road when trying to complete future projects or tasks which were meant for these products/items.
Also, not completing work quickly enough can cause long-term damage, since no one wants to deal with suppliers who cannot deliver on time as agreed.
9. Do Quality Control
Do the quality control before shipment.
It is important to check the products carefully before sending them off.
If you find any issues, contact your supplier immediately about it because this will help avoid further problems later on when trying to sell these items!
Make sure to do Quality Control (or QC) on it before accepting payment. This can help avoid any issues in the future such as receiving a faulty product or service which was not up to standard.
Find a reliable third-party company to do this, as they can help you if there are any problems with the products. This will also save time for both parties!
Conclusion
Online Canton Fair is a major change made under the current pandemic covid-19, using digital technology to showcase new products and technologies of enterprises online.
Anyway, you have to choose from it seriously if you need ideas and business. Before China opens to travelers, you need to be familiar with the online Canton Fair.
I suggest you find a local agent in China who will help you a lot with factory inspection, goods inspection, and shipping.
