CIIE 2026 Attendee Guide: Registration, Transport and Side Trips for Shanghai's Import Expo

Why CIIE Matters for Trade Visitors

The China International Import Expo — CIIE for short — is the world's first national-level exhibition built around imports rather than exports. Held each November in Shanghai, it is where overseas brands and suppliers meet Chinese buyers, distributors, retailers and e-commerce platforms face to face.

The 7th edition runs November 5–10, 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), according to the organizer. The same official source lists six business exhibition zones: vehicles and smart mobility; medical equipment and healthcare products; technical equipment and intelligent industry; consumer goods; food and agricultural products; and trade in services. Exhibition space exceeds 360,000 square metres — large enough that your plan matters more than your stamina. For 2026, Canada has accepted the invitation to serve as the Guest Country of Honour, which means a national pavilion programme and extra buyer attention around Canadian products.

If you sell to China, CIIE is one of the few shows where the buyers come looking for you.

Key Dates and the Venue

• Dates: November 5–10, 2026 (six days).
• Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), No. 333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu District.
• Organizer: China International Import Expo Bureau, under the Ministry of Commerce and the Shanghai Municipal Government.

The venue sits on the western edge of Shanghai, immediately beside the Hongqiao transport hub. That location is deliberate: you can land, take the metro two stops, and be inside the halls — which is rare for a show this size.

Who Can Attend and How to Register

CIIE is a business-to-business event. Professional visitors — trade buyers, distributors, importers, retailers and platform purchasing teams — register in advance through the official CIIE website (ciie.org) with passport or business credentials. Registration is reviewed by the organizer, so complete it early rather than at the door.

Three practical notes for first-time attendees:

• Register with the identity you will actually use. Your badge name and passport must match, and badges are not transferable.
• Use your business details. The organizer issues invitations and buyer credentials to genuine trade visitors; if you represent a company, register as that company.
• Know your access type. Professional-visitor days and public-access days are different. Check the official schedule for the day you plan to attend and register for the correct pass.

If your company is exhibiting rather than buying, the process is separate and starts months earlier through the official channels — booth allocation follows the organizer's published procedure, not on-site requests.

Getting There: Metro, Trains and Flights

The venue's address is the easy part; the transfer planning is what saves you time.

• Metro Line 2 and Line 17 both stop at Xujing East Station, which connects directly to the venue. Line 2 runs through central Shanghai, so if you stay near People's Square or Nanjing Road you can ride one line all the way to the halls — about 35 minutes.
• Hongqiao Railway Station is one stop away on Line 2, or about 10 minutes by taxi. This matters if you plan Suzhou or Hangzhou day trips after the show, because high-speed trains leave from here.
• Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is about two metro stops away — the closest airport to the venue by far.
• Pudong International Airport is on the opposite side of the city. Allow roughly 70–90 minutes by metro or car, and plan hotel and flight logistics accordingly.
• During show week, mornings at Xujing East are busy. Add 15–20 minutes to your schedule for security and crowd flow between the metro exit and the hall entrances.

Where to Stay for CIIE 2026

Hotel demand around the venue spikes every November, and prices follow. Book early — six weeks or more ahead is not excessive.

• Xujing and Hongqiao: the closest area, walkable or one metro stop from the venue. Best for exhibitors and anyone on a tight schedule.
• Central Puxi (People's Square, Nanjing Road, Jing'an): a direct Line 2 ride to the venue and far more to do in the evenings. A good choice if you want the show plus the city.
• Lujiazui/Pudong riverside: skyline views and comfort, but a longer commute — weigh the daily transfer time.

Whichever area you pick, confirm the route to Xujing East Station before booking. A hotel that looks close on the map can still mean a 40-minute taxi crawl at rush hour.

After the Show: Suzhou, Hangzhou and Water Towns

Shanghai's biggest advantage for CIIE visitors is what sits within an hour of it. The same Hongqiao hub that brings you to the venue also takes you to two of China's most-visited destinations:

• Suzhou — about 30–35 minutes by high-speed rail from Hongqiao. Classic gardens, canals and the oldest streets in the Yangtze Delta; a natural one-day escape.
• Hangzhou — roughly 45–60 minutes by high-speed rail. West Lake, tea hills and the kind of slow scenery that contrasts sharply with six days of exhibition halls.
• Zhujiajiao water town — directly on Metro Line 17, about 40 minutes from Hongqiao. A quieter option if you want a taste of old water-town China without another train journey.

Many CIIE attendees add two or three days after the show for a Suzhou–Hangzhou loop before flying home. It is the same region covered by our Luxury Yangtze Delta itinerary, which strings Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou together with private guides and high-speed transfers.

Build It Into a Bigger China Sourcing Year

CIIE is the import show — the event where you sell into China. The Canton Fair in Guangzhou, held each spring and autumn, is the export show — where you buy from China. Companies doing both often pair the two into a single sourcing year rather than treating them as separate trips.

If your autumn already includes Guangzhou, see our Canton Fair buyer registration guide for the invitation and badge process, our phase-by-phase guide to picking the right session, and our factory-visit timing guide for the days between phases. For entry requirements — whether you can travel visa-free or need a business visa — the M visa guide covers the decision and the paperwork.