China’s Canton Fair defies global trends as overseas customers flock to buy robots, drones

Shortly after the doors opened each day at the ongoing Canton Fair, every corner of the robotics and drone halls quickly filled to capacity, while the new energy pavilion remained densely packed with overseas buyers.

Foreign buyers moved slowly between booths, live streaming their encounters with new tech products to social media, queuing to try out the latest devices and in some cases, purchasing samples on the spot at the event, which started last Wednesday.

The scenes reflect a broader shift for China’s largest trade exhibition, where the nation’s push to upgrade into higher-value, technology-driven products shows little sign of slowing – despite softening global demand – with a focus on smart hardware such as robots, drones and energy systems.

The congestion underscores this shift, as attention moves away from traditional manufacturing and towards these segments, which are drawing in more international buyers for longer browsing sessions.

While demand for goods powered by artificial intelligence is still strong, a report by global research and advisory firm Forrester indicated that enterprises were projected to defer 25 per cent of their planned 2026 AI spend into 2027.

A buyer from the US state of Florida, Esteban Mamone, said, “Everything here is amazing. Every time we see completely new products, the pace of China’s technology application is very fast. Now we are always looking for new ideas for our customers at the fair.”

Last year, China’s exports of hi-tech products reached 5.25 trillion yuan (US$770 million), up 13.2 per cent from 2024, ranging from drones to AI-enabled consumer electronics, according to customs data.

The three-week-long spring session of the Canton Fair spans a record 1.55 million square metres (16.6 million square feet), featuring 4.65 million exhibits.

Of these, 23 per cent are new products, ranging from emergency drones designed for fire illumination, eVTOL aircraft aimed at lowering flight-entry barriers, humanoid-style training robots used for sports practice, AI-powered translation glasses and quadruped firefighting robots capable of operating in hazardous environments.

South China Morning Post