Embracing Openness and Innovation: The 137th Canton Fair Opens on Apr 15
sourceSina
time2025/04/18
- This edition of the Canton Fair runs from April 15 to May 5 in Guangzhou, divided into three phases under the themes of “Advanced Manufacturing”, “Quality Home Living”, and “Better Life”.
The 137th Canton Fair officially opened on April 15 along the Pearl River. Despite ongoing China-U.S. trade tensions and the lingering shadow of unilateralism, this long-standing trade event—China's oldest—continues to welcome the world with an impressive gathering of global merchants.
This edition of the Canton Fair runs from April 15 to May 5 in Guangzhou, divided into three phases under the themes of “Advanced Manufacturing”, “Quality Home Living”, and “Better Life”. It features 55 exhibition sections and 172 product categories.
Walking through the 1.55 million square meters of exhibition space, one encounters agile humanoid robots and gleaming new energy vehicles, vividly embodying China’s open-door philosophy of “tearing down walls instead of building them.”
"China’s No.1 Trade Fair" Boosts Confidence in Foreign Trade
Amid U.S. tariff pressures, how is China’s foreign trade responding? The General Administration of Customs gave a firm reply: “The sky won’t fall.”
On April 14, the Customs authority released China’s Q1 trade report that total goods trade reached 10.3 trillion yuan, up 1.3%, and exports hit 6.13 trillion yuan, a 6.9% increase. This steady start to the year aligns perfectly with the thriving business turnout at the Canton Fair, reinforcing confidence in China’s resilient foreign trade.
The 137th Canton Fair officially opened on April 15 along the Pearl River. Despite ongoing China-U.S. trade tensions and the lingering shadow of unilateralism, this long-standing trade event—China's oldest—continues to welcome the world with an impressive gathering of global merchants.
Multiple "Firsts" Highlight the Vitality of Openness
In response to external uncertainties, the Canton Fair is embracing challenges with several notable “firsts.” For the first time, a Service Robot Zone has been added during Phase I, showcasing the latest advancements in China’s artificial intelligence development.
At the same time, the fair has newly established an Integrated Housing Zone for the first time, and continues to feature themed sections on smart living, smart logistics and warehousing equipment, digital factories, intelligent manufacturing production lines, wind energy, hydrogen energy and other new energy products, as well as smart mobility technologies.
Looking at this year’s exhibitors, the fair is brimming with innovation and intelligence:
◆ Over 4,200 first-time exhibitors
◆ More than 9,700 enterprises titled as national high-tech firms, “little giants” in specialized and innovative sectors, or single-item manufacturing champions—a 20% increase from the previous session
◆ Around 3,700 exhibitors focused on the “new trio” (EVs, lithium batteries, and solar panels), digital technology, and intelligent manufacturing
◆ Over 17,000 enterprises with independent brands
◆ Nearly 22,000 companies with internationally recognized certifications
New Quality Productivity Builds New Advantages
On April 15, the first phase of the 137th Canton Fair officially opened, featuring the theme “Advanced Manufacturing.”
This phase highlights cutting-edge industries and technological support, embracing the momentum of new quality productive forces. A surge of new enterprises, products, technologies, and business models has emerged, spanning both industrial production and daily life.
Exhibition areas related to the “New Trio” (EVs, lithium batteries, solar panels), digital technology, and intelligent manufacturing account for nearly 8,900 booths, with around 3,700 participating enterprises.
According to official sources, the first phase of the Canton Fair features 4,950 brand booths and 969 carefully selected brand enterprises, including 14 newly admitted brands.
Over 1,600 companies are first-time exhibitors, while more than 5,100 specialized high-quality enterprises—such as national-level high-tech firms, manufacturing champions, and “little giants” in specialized fields—are participating, marking an increase of around 900 compared to the previous session. This underscores China’s push to move up the global industrial and value chains.
For the first time, a Service Robot Zone was set up in the Friendship Hall during the first phase. Spanning 4,200 square meters, the zone showcases a wide range of robots across personal, household, and professional sectors, including security inspection robots, reception and guide robots, domestic service robots, cleaning robots, educational robots, and companion robots. A total of 46 top-tier robotics companies are participating, making it a high-level platform for showcasing cutting-edge innovations.
New Quality Productivity Builds New Advantages
| Total exhibition area 1.55 million square meters | Total number of booths approximately 74,000 | Number of exhibiting companies about 31,000 |
| Export exhibition booths nearly 73,000 | Number of exhibiting companies exceeds 30,000 for the first time | Participating companies nearly 900 more than the previous session |
| First-time addition of a Service Robot Zone in Phase I | Exhibition area of the Service Robot Zone 4,200 square meters | High-quality related enterprises to exhibit attracted 46 |