Amid energy shocks from the Iran war threatening Southeast Asia’s supply chains, US and European importers are shifting some orders back to China. Chinese exporters report a recovery in buyer numbers at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou.
At the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, buyer patterns show a recovery in numbers from Europe and the United States compared to last year, according to Chinese exporters. Inquiries have increased for home appliances, new energy products, and consumer electronics.
Liang Qiuyan, overseas market director at Zhixin Electronics, a massage chair exporter, said the shift was palpable. “From the clients visiting the Canton Fair, we can clearly feel the return of European and US customers,” she said, adding that some were reinforcing their reliance on Chinese supply chains with “potentially more orders this year”.
The company expects revenue to grow 30 to 40 per cent in 2026, driven mainly by Europe and the United States. Washington’s current tariffs on China have had only a limited impact, she said.
Not everyone is optimistic, however, as US and European importers shift some orders back to China amid the Iran war’s energy shock threatening Southeast Asia’s supply chains.