After the Canton Fair: A 14-Day Supplier Follow-Up Checklist

The Canton Fair is the easy part. You walk, you talk, you collect cards. The work that decides whether the trip pays off happens in the two weeks after you get home, when the cards turn into quotations and one of them turns into a deposit.

Most buyers lose that fortnight. The cards sit in a bag, the suppliers send follow-up messages that all read the same, and three weeks later the buyer pays whoever chased hardest. This checklist is a way to avoid that.

The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases in Guangzhou: 15–19 October, 23–27 October and 31 October–4 November 2026. Start the clock from the day your phase ends.

Days 1–2: Sort the cards while you still remember

Memory fades fast after 200 booths. Before anything else, sort every card into three piles.

• A: would buy from. The product fits, the person knew it well, the price was in range.
• B: maybe. Something was right and something was unclear.
• C: no. Wrong product, wrong price or a bad feeling.

For each A and B card, write down the product you discussed, the price you were quoted and anything that was promised. If you took a photo of the card with the booth number, match them now.

Keep the A pile small. Three to five suppliers per product is enough.

Days 3–5: Send every shortlisted supplier the same request

Do not reply to follow-up messages one by one. Write one request for quotation and send the same one to every A supplier. Identical questions give you answers you can compare.

A useful request states:

• The exact product, model or specification, with a photo or drawing
• The quantity, and a second quantity if you want a price break
• The price term you want, for example FOB and the port
• Your destination country, so they can tell you about voltage, plugs or certificates
• Packing, labelling and any customisation
• A request for lead time, payment terms, warranty and price validity
• A request for the business licence

Give a deadline for the reply. Five days is fair. Note who answers on time and who answers the questions you asked. A supplier who ignores half your questions now will not get better after you pay.

Days 6–9: Compare like with like

Put the quotations in one table. One row per supplier, one column per item below.

What to compare	Why it matters
Unit price and price term	EXW and FOB prices are not the same thing
What is included	Spare parts, tooling, packing, manuals
Lead time	Counted from deposit or from order confirmation?
Payment terms	Deposit share and when the balance is due
Warranty	Length, and who pays to ship replacement parts
Price validity	How long before the price can change
Missing answers	Every blank is a future cost or dispute

A price far below the others is not good news until you know why. The usual reasons are a different specification, a missing item, or a supplier who plans to raise the price after the deposit.

Days 10–12: Verify the one or two you would actually pay

Now check the leading supplier before you negotiate the last details. At a minimum:

1. Look the company up by its Chinese name and confirm the licence is real and active.
2. Read the business scope and find out whether it is a factory or a trader.
3. Confirm that the company on the proforma invoice, the company on the licence and the beneficiary of the bank account are the same.
4. Ask for a live video call from the workshop.

The full method is in How to verify a Canton Fair supplier before paying a deposit. If the supplier’s type is unclear, see Factory or trading company? How to tell.

If you would rather hand this step over, I do it for USD 99 per supplier and quotation, with a written answer in 2 working days: Canton Fair Supplier Check.

Days 13–14: Agree the terms, then pay

Before the deposit, get a proforma invoice or contract that repeats everything agreed: specification, quantity, price term, lead time, packing, warranty and payment terms. What was said at the booth does not count unless it is on this document.

If the order is large or the product is new to you, consider a sample or a small trial order first. For bigger orders, plan an inspection before you pay the balance.

Then pay the deposit, by bank transfer, to the company account named on the invoice.

Four mistakes to avoid

• Paying to “lock in the fair price”. Fair-only prices that expire in a few days are a sales technique. A real supplier will hold a price for a serious buyer for two weeks.
• Choosing the fastest replier. Speed shows a keen salesperson. It says nothing about the factory.
• Comparing prices before comparing specifications. Make sure all the quotations are for the same thing.
• Accepting new bank details by email. If the account changes, confirm by phone with the person you met before you send anything.

FAQ

How soon should I follow up after the Canton Fair?

Within the first week. Suppliers are handling hundreds of contacts, and they prioritise buyers who send a clear, specific request early.

How many suppliers should I shortlist?

Three to five per product. Fewer gives you nothing to compare. More turns the comparison into a job you will not finish.

Should I pay a deposit at the fair?

No. Nothing at the booth lets you check who you are paying. Take the quotation home, verify the company, then pay.

Maggie Yue, Hangzhou Zhenbao Trading Co., Ltd. This service is independent and is not affiliated with the Canton Fair.