Yiwu Fair 2026, Yiwu Market or 1688: where should you buy small goods wholesale?

Yiwu Fair 2026 suits you if you want to compare a large number of suppliers within four days, and the 32nd edition runs from 21 to 24 October 2026 at the Yiwu International Expo Center. Yiwu Market serves you all year round, and 1688 suits repeat orders once you know the supplier. Choose your route according to order size and your time, and inspect the goods before paying the balance.

What does Yiwu Fair 2026 offer a trader?

According to the fair's official website, en.yiwufair.com, the 32nd edition of the Yiwu export commodities fair runs from 21 to 24 October 2026 at the Yiwu International Expo Center. The organiser is Yiwu China Commodities City Exhibition Co., Ltd. That means it lasts only four days, so book your trip and accommodation early.

At the fair you find manufacturers and wholesalers in one place. You hold the sample in your hand, ask about the minimum order quantity, and compare three suppliers in a single hour. That is an advantage a screen does not give you.

You will find figures on other websites for the number of exhibitors. We do not quote any of them here because we have not verified them. Check the exhibitor list, the booth map and the visitor registration process on en.yiwufair.com before you build your travel plan on any figure.

When does the fair not suit you?

If your order is very small, or you need a single supplier for a single product, the trip may cost you more than it saves. And if you want to buy several products across more than one category, the fair alone is not enough, because it is short. Also read Trade Fairs in China: How to Find Products and Suppliers to learn how to get the most out of any fair.

What is the difference between Yiwu Fair, Yiwu Market and 1688?

The three options sell roughly the same small goods: accessories, household items, stationery, toys and gifts. The difference lies in time, effort and risk. Here is a practical comparison:

• Yiwu Fair (21-24 October 2026): takes four days of your time on fixed dates, plus travel and accommodation. You meet the supplier face to face and see the sample. Suited to trying new suppliers and negotiating the minimum order quantity.
• Yiwu Market all year round: open throughout the year, so you choose when to visit. You walk between the shops, buy small quantities and ship together with others. But many shops are middlemen rather than factories, so always ask about the actual factory.
• 1688: you buy from your office without travelling, and you find factory wholesale prices in the local currency. But you do not see the goods, the language is Chinese, and payment and domestic shipping need an agent. Read the 1688 wholesale guide for Arab importers before you start.

We do not quote unit prices here, because they change with material, quantity and season. Ask every supplier for a written quotation, and compare them on the same terms: quantity, packaging, delivery terms and production time.

How do you work out the minimum order quantity and shared LCL container?

Minimum order quantity (MOQ)

The minimum order quantity varies from one supplier to another and from one product to another. In the market a shop may sell to you by the carton, while a factory may ask for a larger quantity if you customise the logo or packaging. Do not accept a verbal figure. Ask for the figure in writing for each colour and size, and ask whether colours can be mixed within the same order.

The shared LCL container

If you will not fill a full container, a shared container (LCL) means your goods share the container with other traders' goods, and you pay by volume in cubic metres or by weight, whichever is higher. A full container usually comes in a 20-foot or 40-foot size. Usable capacity is roughly 28 to 33 cubic metres in a 20-foot container, and roughly 58 to 67 cubic metres in a 40-foot container. These are approximate figures that vary with loading and container type, so ask the shipping company to confirm.

What changes the cost of shipping? Volume and weight, the port of arrival, the shipping season and the sea route. The situation on routes to the Gulf is changing in 2026, so read Shipping from China to the Gulf while the Strait of Hormuz is closed: routes, costs and lead times and ask the shipping company for an up-to-date quotation before you calculate your profit margin.

How do you buy at Yiwu Fair step by step?

1. Draw up a list of no more than ten products, with the target quantity and the expected selling price in your country.
2. Open en.yiwufair.com and check the visitor registration requirements, the exhibitor list and the entry times.
3. Arrange your visa and your accommodation in Yiwu early, as accommodation fills up during fair days.
4. At the fair, collect from each supplier: a written quotation, the minimum order quantity, the production time and a photo of the sample.
5. Request samples of the products you liked, and take them home to compare calmly.
6. Before paying, verify the supplier and the factory, and agree on inspecting the goods before paying the balance.
7. Book shipping once you know the actual carton volume, not before.

To verify the supplier, read How to Inspect a Factory in China Before You Pay the Balance. The idea is that you pay part when ordering, and pay the balance after you see the inspection report. The deposit percentage is negotiated and varies from one supplier to another.

Inspection before payment

Inspection before payment protects you from the most costly problems. Agree with the supplier in writing that the balance is paid after inspection, and specify what will be inspected: quantity, sizes, colours, packaging and the shipping marks on the cartons. The inspector can visit the factory or warehouse, take a random sample of cartons, and send you photos and a report before you decide.

In Yiwu in particular, where you deal with small shops and middlemen, ask for the factory's name, address and business licence. Ask for these details to appear on the quotation or the invoice. If the supplier refuses to answer, that is a signal you need to understand before you pay.

Negotiating at the fair

Do not negotiate on price in the first minute. Start with questions: what is the minimum order quantity? How long does production take? Is packaging included? Then ask for the price at a quantity slightly larger than yours. Suppliers often give you a discount on the larger quantity, but this varies from product to product and we do not promise any particular percentage. Write everything down in a notebook or on your phone, and photograph the supplier's card and the booth number.

And after the fair, do not rush. Go back to the quotations and compare them calmly, and send the suppliers you liked a message confirming the agreed quantity, price, production time and sample. Whatever is not written down is hard to prove later.

Before travelling, write two questions in your notebook for every supplier: do you make this product yourselves? And how much time do you need from order confirmation to shipment? Together, the two answers quickly show you whether you are talking to a factory or a middleman, and whether your market date is realistic.

What should you check before travelling?

• The fair dates: 21-24 October 2026, Yiwu International Expo Center, from the official website.
• Visitor registration and the information and documents the organiser asks of you.
• Your visa status, or your passport's visa exemption at the time of travel, from an official source.
• Your list of products and quantities and your target selling price.
• Written quotation templates: quantity, packaging, delivery terms, production time.
• An interpreter or companion if you do not speak Chinese.
• The payment method you will use, and read the guide to paying Chinese suppliers: safe and effective methods
• Factory holiday dates after the fair.

China enters factory holidays in the last quarter, and this affects the delivery date of your order. Read Chinese factory holidays 2026 in Q4 before you give the supplier a shipping date.

When should you move from one option to another?

• Move from 1688 to Yiwu Market or the fair if problems with sample quality multiply and you need to see the goods yourself.
• Move from the market directly to the factory if you reorder the same product and need a lower unit price and custom packaging.
• Move from the fair to 1688 or to the factory for repeat orders once you know the supplier and have tested their quality.
• Stay in the market if your order is small and varied and needs a single mixed shipment.

What are the common mistakes?

• Relying on an exhibitor count from an unofficial website instead of the organiser's website.
• Confusing a middleman's shop with a factory, then paying a middleman's price as if it were a factory price.
• Paying in full before inspection, or paying a balance without a report.
• Accepting the minimum order quantity verbally without putting it in writing.
• Calculating shipping before knowing the actual carton volume.
• Ignoring the full cost to your warehouse door, including fees, customs and domestic shipping. Read The Real Cost of Importing from China: Your Full Landed Cost if you have not calculated it yet.

What should you do next?

Here are three actions for this week:

1. Open en.yiwufair.com and check visitor registration, the exhibitor list and the dates of the 32nd edition.
2. Write a list of no more than ten products, with the quantity and target selling price in your country.
3. Ask your shipping company for an up-to-date shared LCL container quotation to your country's port.

If you do not have time to travel or to compare factories, the HiGreenPanda team can take over finding suppliers, requesting quotations and verifying them for you through Product sourcing.