China News reported on 21 October 2026 that phase one of the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) closed on 19 October and the fair is now in its changeover period, with phase two opening on 23 October.
During this window, many Canton Fair buyers who do not work in electronics have traveled from Guangzhou to Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics market. A Brazilian buyer said many people in his business group signed up because they heard they could see a wide range of new smart products in one place. An Icelandic buyer said his company buys bicycles and other goods at the Canton Fair for import to Iceland, and came to Huaqiangbei to look at drones and other new technology products.
Chen Yeguang, a merchant at Huaqiang Electronics World, said the market brings together AI toys, AI earbuds, smart rings and other smart products. He said the number of foreign buyers visiting his shop has kept rising since 10 October, and that revenue during the Canton Fair has been roughly double normal levels or more.
The report said the shopping district offers convenient departure tax refund services and one-stop QR code payment to make purchasing easier for foreign buyers, and one merchant said recent tax refund amounts are one to two times higher than before.