Canton Fair under Middle East cloud, but sets records, as high costs hit China’s exporters

Canton Fair under Middle East cloud, but sets records, as high costs hit China’s exportersManufacturers and buyers offer on-the-ground perspectives at China’s largest trade exhibition, swapping stories and predictions amid massive turnout3-MIN READ3-MIN1ListenPublished: 8:00am, 16 Apr 2026Updated: 9:54am, 16 Apr 2026Rising tensions in the Middle East cast a fresh shadow over the opening of China’s largest trade fair, at a time when the impact of geopolitical shocks is being reflected in the nation’s trade figures.In conversations across sprawling exhibition halls after the Canton Fair opened its doors on Wednesday in China’s manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, domestic exporters and foreign buyers sounded each other out, trying to gauge how far those shocks might ripple through global trade.The threat of US tariffs continues to weigh on sentiment, and exporters across a range of industries discussed how they spent the past few years reducing reliance on the American market. Several have been pinning hopes on Europe as a lifeline, while growth in demand from emerging markets has also offered a cushion.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x