What to Buy at the Canton Fair as an Indian Importer: Products by Phase, and the Indian Rules That Apply

1. How to Use This List

The Canton Fair runs in three five-day phases, each with its own product sectors; a buyer of lighting has nothing to see in Phase 3, and a garment buyer nothing in Phase 1. The sector lists below follow the organiser's published schedule for the 140th session (15 October to 4 November 2026, with no exhibition 20–22 October and 28–30 October). Decide the phase first, then plan the halls; the phases and dates article has the floor-level detail. Then, before you fall for a product at a booth, check the Indian side: certification, quality control orders and duty, covered in section 5.

2. Phase 1: Electronics, Appliances, Machinery, Hardware, Vehicles, New Energy

Sectors: electronics and electrical products; household appliances; lighting; machinery and manufacturing equipment; hardware and tools; vehicles, mobility and vehicle parts; new energy and chemical products.

Where Indian importers buy: small and large household appliances, LED lighting and fixtures, power tools and hand tools, hardware for construction and furniture, machinery for packaging, food processing and plastics, auto and two-wheeler parts and accessories, solar and battery products, and electronic accessories.

Indian conditions: a long list of electronic and electrical products is under BIS compulsory registration (the CRS scheme) or ISI certification, including many appliances, lighting and power supplies; the model must be registered by the manufacturer before import. Wireless products need WPC approval. Solar modules and cells face policy conditions for government-linked projects. Several machinery and hardware headings have carried anti-dumping duty. This phase rewards buyers who arrive with HSN codes and the BIS position of each line already checked.

3. Phase 2: Building Materials, Furniture, Household, Ceramics, Gifts

Sectors: building and decorative materials; sanitary and bathroom equipment; furniture; household goods; ceramics, kitchenware and tableware; gardening products; home decorations; gifts and festival products.

Where Indian importers buy: kitchenware and cookware, glassware and tableware, home decor and artificial flowers, gifts and corporate gifting, bathroom fittings and accessories, outdoor and modular furniture, garden tools, and festive products for Diwali and the wedding season (buy in the autumn session for the following year).

Indian conditions: stainless steel and aluminium utensils are under a quality control order requiring BIS marking; some ceramic and glass tableware headings carry anti-dumping duty; furniture and decor are largely free of certification but attract higher BCD rates. Volumetric goods (furniture, decor) make freight the deciding cost; the shipping comparison explains why.

4. Phase 3: Textiles, Footwear, Health, Baby and Pet, Toys, Food, Office, Bags, Sports

Sectors: clothing, textiles and footwear; personal care and health products; medicines and medical devices; maternity, baby and pet products; toys; food; office supplies; bags; sports and leisure products.

Where Indian importers buy: toys, bags and luggage, sports and fitness equipment, stationery and office products, pet products, baby gear such as strollers and feeding products, technical fabrics and trims that Indian mills do not make, and personal care devices.

Indian conditions: toys for children under 14 require BIS certification before import, and customs enforces it; footwear is under a quality control order; medical devices need CDSCO registration; food and cosmetics need FSSAI and CDSCO compliance respectively; textiles are mostly free of certification but face competition from Indian production and higher duty on finished garments. Toys are the most common disappointment of the fair: an attractive line that cannot be imported because the factory has no BIS licence for it.

5. The Indian Rules to Check Before You Order

1. BIS compulsory registration and ISI marking: the Bureau of Indian Standards publishes the products covered. The licence is held by the manufacturer for the model and the factory; ask the booth whether they hold one for India and for which models, and verify it on the BIS portal.
2. Quality control orders issued by ministries for product groups such as utensils, footwear and some furniture components; they make the standard mandatory for imports.
3. Other agency approvals: WPC for wireless, CDSCO for medical devices and cosmetics, FSSAI for food and food contact materials, Legal Metrology declarations on packaged goods.
4. Duty: BCD by HSN code, plus anti-dumping duty on specific Chinese products, as the China import duty article explains. Check the DGTR list before pricing.
5. Import policy: a few products are restricted and need a DGFT licence. Check the policy for the HSN code.

6. Choosing Products: Four Questions at the Booth

1. Is this the factory or a trader? Ask for the business licence and read the scope; "manufacture" is the word you want. The factory audit checklist explains what to verify afterwards.
2. Do you sell to India already, and with what certification? A booth that names Indian customers and a BIS licence number has done the hard part.
3. What is the minimum order and the price at my quantity, FOB which port? Booth prices are opening positions; the negotiation article covers what moves them.
4. What does one unit cost landed and what will it sell for? Run the landed cost calculator at the booth with the BCD rate for the heading; a product with a thin landed margin is not improved by a long flight home.

7. What Indian Importers Usually Skip

Products India makes competitively and protects with duty: basic garments and home textiles, standard footwear, common plastics and commodity hardware. Products whose certification the booth cannot show for India: uncertified toys and electronics. Products with anti-dumping duty that erases the margin. Products whose freight cost per unit exceeds the saving: very bulky, low-value goods shipped in small quantities. The Canton Fair 2026 guide for Indian buyers covers the rest of the visit, and our product sourcing service follows up the booths you shortlist with verification, samples and the order.