Source products
Thousands of suppliers under one roof, showing what they make and what they charge for it. Samples in your hand rather than photographs on a screen.
15 to 19 October 2026 · Guangzhou, China
Chinasourcing trip
YYZToronto Pearson
CANGuangzhou Baiyun
Abe buys from Chinese factories for his own businesses: sauna heaters, electric bikes and the parts that keep them running. In October he goes to the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, and business owners are welcome to come with him.
Fair
Canton Fair
Phase 1, the sourcing phase
Dates
15 to 19 October 2026
Thursday to Monday
Where
Guangzhou, China
Canton Fair Complex
Visa
None needed
Canadians travel visa free to mainland China for up to 30 days
Who this is for
Business owners who buy things.
If you sell a physical product, or want to, this is the room where it gets made. You walk the aisles, you meet the people who make it, and you see what it costs before anyone marks it up.
Meet factories
A conversation at a stand is worth a month of email. You find out who actually manufactures and who is reselling, and you leave with the contacts.
See how Abe does it
Abe has been buying from China for his own businesses for years. You are travelling with someone who has done this before and knows what he is looking at.
Go with company
Guangzhou is a long way to go alone the first time. Going with a group of other Canadian business owners takes most of the guesswork out of it.
What to expect at the fair
The Canton Fair, in three phases.
Held in Guangzhou twice a year, it is one of the largest trade fairs in the world. Each session runs in three phases, and each phase carries different product categories. Phase 1 is the one for hard goods.
Electronics and appliances
Machinery
Hardware and tools
Lighting
Vehicles and parts
Building materials
Phase 1 of the autumn 2026 session runs 15 to 19 October. Phases 2 and 3 follow later in the month with consumer goods, gifts, home decoration, textiles and clothing.
Getting there
One non-stop, fifteen and a half hours.
China Southern flies Toronto Pearson to Guangzhou Baiyun direct on a Boeing 777. It is the only non-stop on the route. It runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, so there are two sensible departures for this trip.
| Departure | Out | Arrive Guangzhou | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Mon 12 Oct, 01:30Toronto Pearson T3 | Tue 13 Oct, 05:00Two clear days before the fair opens | Tue 20 Oct, 22:00Leaves Guangzhou 19:05 the same day |
| Wednesday | Wed 14 Oct, 01:30Toronto Pearson T3 | Thu 15 Oct, 05:00The morning the fair opens | Tue 20 Oct, 22:00Leaves Guangzhou 19:05 the same day |
Fifteen and a half hours out, just under fifteen back. The 01:30 departure means being at Pearson the evening before. You land back in Toronto the same evening you leave Guangzhou.
| Cabin | Return fare | Paid on a Canadian card |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | about $2,330 | about $2,390 |
| Premium economy | about $3,135 | about $3,215 |
| Business | about $6,945 | about $7,120 |
These are the fares China Southern was showing on 31 August 2026, converted at 1 yuan to 0.207 Canadian dollars. Airline prices move. The airline bills in yuan, so the second column adds the 2.5 percent foreign transaction fee most Canadian cards charge; some cards charge none.
Canadians travel to mainland China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days. That arrangement runs to the end of 2026.
Come along.
Send Abe a message and he will talk you through the trip, what it costs and what is involved.
Guangzhou, October.
Phase 1 of the Canton Fair runs 15 to 19 October 2026. One non-stop from Toronto, no visa, and a week among the people who make the things you sell.