UPDATE(March 25, 2020): The Provincial Commerce Department announced that the Canton Fair shall not start on the scheduled date of April 15, 2020. This is contrary to an earlier announcement that preparations were already being carried out for the opening. The reason for the postponement is still the ongoing global pandemic, novel coronavirus. While they say that it is only a postponement, the entrepreneurs deem the event as cancelled.

UPDATE (March 6, 2020): The Ministry of Commerce in its Online Policy Briefing on Keeping Foreign Trade and Investment Stable and Boosting Consumption, held on February 21, 2020, announced that the Canton Fair 2020 preparations are being carried out steadily as planned. This is contrary to announcements made in early February through their official WeChat News and media ads of the suspension of all exhibition activities. These announcements has now been taken down. The first phase of activities are said to start mid-April. This remains to be seen as more and more trade shows and events are being cancelled in light of the coronavirus scare. An event of similar scale, Global Sources 2020 Spring Show Series recently announced its cancellation.