Canton Fair Commercial Furniture Sourcing Guide: What Wholesalers Need to Know

1. What Is the Canton Fair?

The China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, is one of China's largest international trade exhibitions. It has been held since 1957, twice a year in spring and autumn in Guangzhou, and is a key platform for global buyers looking for Chinese suppliers.

Unlike a furniture-only show, the Canton Fair covers a very wide product range, including:

• Furniture
• Hardware
• Building & Decorative Materials
• Housewares
• Kitchenware & Tableware
• Lighting
• Machinery
• Electronics
• Gifts & Decorations
• Textiles
• Toys
• Consumer Products

For commercial furniture buyers, the advantage is clear: in one China sourcing trip you can source furniture, hardware, decorative materials and everything else a commercial project needs. That is why the fair is an ideal starting point for supplier development and market research when you are looking for commercial furniture suppliers in China.

2. When Is the Canton Fair 2026?

The autumn 2026 session is the 140th Canton Fair, held in three phases:

Phase 2 is the one commercial furniture buyers should focus on. Official information shows Phase 2 features:

• Furniture
• Building & Decorative Materials
• Sanitary & Bathroom Equipment
• Housewares
• Kitchenware & Tableware
• Home Decorations
• Gardening Products
• Gifts & Premiums
• Weaving, Rattan & Iron Products

So if your sourcing list includes restaurant furniture, hotel furniture, commercial tables and chairs, or furniture hardware, plan your trip around Phase 2.

3. Where Is the Canton Fair Held?

The fair is held at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, No. 382, Yuejiang Zhong Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, China. Guangzhou is one of China's key international trade and manufacturing cities, and a central node of the Pearl River Delta manufacturing supply chain.

A practical sourcing route for overseas buyers looks like this:

In other words, do not spend your entire trip inside the exhibition halls. Once you have shortlisted a few potential suppliers at the fair, arrange factory visits. A booth shows products, but a factory shows real production capability.

4. How Large Is the Canton Fair?

Scale is one of the fair's biggest advantages. According to official figures, the 140th session covers about 1.55 million m² of exhibition area with around 32,000 exhibitors, while the 139th session attracted about 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions.

For B2B buyers, however, scale is both an advantage and a challenge. With so many suppliers, you will run into:

• Similar-looking products
• Wide price gaps
• Hard-to-judge quality differences
• Different MOQs
• Different material specifications
• Different surface finishes
• Different OEM capabilities
• Different supplier types

That is why collecting dozens of business cards is less useful than preparing a supplier evaluation checklist in advance.

5. What Makes the Canton Fair Different?

The biggest difference between the Canton Fair and an ordinary furniture show is that it is not only a product showcase but a full international B2B sourcing platform. As a wholesaler, you can use it to:

6. What Commercial Furniture Can Wholesalers Source?

The Canton Fair and the Chinese supply chain behind it cover a very wide commercial furniture range. Common categories include:

Commercial Tables

Restaurant tables, dining tables, café tables, bar tables, commercial dining tables and outdoor tables — browse the full range of wholesale commercial tables including round dining tables and rectangular dining tables.

Table Bases

If you are a restaurant furniture wholesaler, furniture dealer or project buyer, table bases deserve special attention. Common types include stainless steel table bases, aluminum table bases, cast iron table bases, iron table bases, pedestal table bases, cross table bases, T-shape table bases, double table bases and custom table bases.

Different projects have different requirements for load capacity, stability, dimensions and finish. So never compare on price alone: confirm the material, tube thickness, base plate size, welding quality, surface treatment and packaging. For details, see our guides on surface treatments and table base costs.

Tabletops

Commercial tabletops can be matched to project needs: sintered stone tabletops, wood tabletops, HPL tabletops and artificial marble tabletops. Sourcing table bases and tabletops together reduces supplier management cost.

Dining Chairs

Commercial seating completes the project: restaurant chairs, dining chairs, café chairs, bar stools and other commercial seating. For restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars, tables and chairs usually need to match in size, style, color and quantity.

7. How to Choose a Reliable Commercial Furniture Manufacturer

The hard part starts after the fair: which commercial furniture manufacturer should you actually choose? Evaluate from these angles.

1. Manufacturer or Trading Company?

First confirm whether the supplier is a real manufacturer. Ask directly:

• Do you own your factory?
• Where is your factory located?
• What products do you manufacture?
• What is your production capacity?
• Can we visit your factory?

A supplier that gives clear factory information and welcomes factory visits is usually easier to evaluate. A quick reference:

2. Material & Product Quality

For commercial furniture, material specification is critical. For table bases, confirm: material, tube diameter, tube thickness, base plate thickness, welding quality, surface finish, load capacity and product dimensions. Never compare "how much per table leg" only — compare price + material + specification + quality + packaging + service.

3. OEM & ODM Capability

If you are a furniture brand, dealer or project buyer, customization matters. Ask in advance: Can you customize the size? The color? Can you develop new models? Provide OEM service, product drawings, samples? Our OEM branding policy shows what a factory-direct OEM process looks like.

4. MOQ & Production Capacity

Wholesale purchasing always requires confirming the MOQ, and different suppliers vary widely. If your plan covers multiple models, ask: Can I mix different models in one wholesale order? This matters especially for furniture wholesalers.

5. Packaging & Shipping

Commercial furniture is bulky, so packaging and freight cannot be ignored. Confirm carton and pallet packaging, export packaging, container loading, shipping dimensions and damage protection. A good supplier helps you reduce transit losses, and choosing between LCL and FCL shipping can change your landed cost significantly.

8. Why Choose AEONTI for Commercial Furniture Sourcing?

If you are looking for a commercial furniture manufacturer in China, AEONTI can be one of your long-term supply chain partners. AEONTI focuses on commercial furniture and related products for overseas wholesalers, dealers, brands and commercial project clients, covering table bases + tabletops + commercial tables + dining chairs, including stainless steel table bases, aluminum table bases, cast iron table bases, iron table bases and custom table bases, with OEM/ODM support for different project requirements.

One-Stop Commercial Furniture Sourcing

For overseas buyers, one of the biggest costs is not the product price but supplier management. If a project needs table bases, tabletops, tables and chairs at the same time, sourcing from multiple suppliers means more communication, more quotations, more samples, more quality control and more logistics coordination. Choosing a manufacturer with multi-category supply capability improves supply chain efficiency.

OEM & Custom Manufacturing

If you already have your own designs, dimensions or product requirements, send us your drawings, pictures or specifications. We can discuss product dimensions, material, finish, color, structure, packaging, quantity and OEM requirements. For wholesalers and commercial project clients, we focus on building long-term cooperation rather than completing a single order. If you are looking for commercial table bases, commercial tables or restaurant furniture suppliers in China, contact us for a product catalog and quotation.

9. Canton Fair Commercial Furniture Sourcing Checklist

If you are preparing to source commercial furniture at the fair, prepare this checklist in advance.

Do not rush into a large order. A step-by-step process — supplier screening, factory visit, sample testing, price and specification comparison, trial order, quality inspection, bulk order — reduces the risk of a first cooperation. Our sampling guide explains what to check before production.