There is a piece of arithmetic every toy retailer knows: a whole year of revenue is decided in a few weeks of November and December. Christmas and Children’s Day concentrate the sales, and whoever reaches those dates with the right shelf makes money, while whoever reaches them with the wrong one is left with dead stock. What many people do not realise is that this shelf is not put together in December, nor in Brazil: it is chosen in October, in China, months in advance.
That is where anyone who wants to stop reselling a distributor’s range and choose their own looks. Asia’s largest toy fair is the China Toy Expo, and the 2026 edition runs from 21 to 23 October at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). This guide explains what the fair is, what you find there, why October is exactly the right moment, and what to confirm on compliance before importing, starting with the most critical point of all in toys: safety.
What the China Toy Expo is: four fairs in one
The China Toy Expo (CTE) is Asia’s largest toy fair, and its strength lies in not coming alone. It runs alongside three other fairs, in the same complex and on the same dates, forming one of the biggest children’s product events in the world: more than 2,600 exhibitors and over 128,000 buyers at the previous edition.
The toys themselves: plush, dolls, cars, blocks, electronic and action toys, the heart of the fair.
Baby and children’s products: pushchairs, car seats, nursery items and everything for the layette and the child’s room.
Licensed character and brand products, the segment with the highest added value and the strongest sales pull.
Educational and STEAM: teaching toys, playground equipment and preschool materials, a growing market in Brazil.
For the buyer, that concentration is gold: on a single trip you cover everything from baby toys to educational products, from licensed goods to impulse toys, and you build a complete shop range comparing manufacturers side by side. Several of these segments already have clear demand in Brazil and appear in our Showcase: educational STEM toys, the children’s LCD writing tablet and the children’s ceiling projector.
And Hong Kong? The Mega Show in October
Anyone wanting to combine toys with gifts and homeware has a second stop in the same month. The Mega Show, in Hong Kong, runs in October in two parts (Part 1 from 20 to 23 and Part 2 from 27 to 29), and it is strong in gifts, toys, decoration and end-of-year items. It is the perfect complement for anyone who, alongside toys, is building the seasonal Christmas shelf.
Since Shanghai and Hong Kong are a short flight apart, and the dates fit together, you can build an itinerary that combines the Toy Expo with the Mega Show, or with the Canton Fair, which opens shortly afterwards. It is worth checking the full calendar of China trade fairs 2026 to fit everything into the same October trip.
Why October is the moment, even with Christmas in December
It looks early, but it is late. Importing toys is not an impulse purchase, and toys carry one step more than most products: certification. Between deciding, negotiating, certifying with INMETRO, inspecting, shipping and clearing customs, the route from China to Brazil takes 60 to 120 days, and certification can stretch that further. Anyone going to the fair in October is building the stock for next year’s Christmas and Black Friday, as well as Children’s Day. Leaving it until December means losing the whole season.
The profit logic of toys is well known: low cost at source, healthy margin on resale, with one detail that favours whoever imports directly. A toy is a strong impulse product and an emotional decision, in which novelty and the character matter more than the cost. Whoever brings in the season’s new release, rather than what is already in every shop, captures the margin and the turnover that the catalogue reseller does not have.
The toy calendar: the fair is in October, certification takes its time, the ship takes its own, and the selling happens in November and December. Every week of delay in deciding eats a week of the season. With toys, whoever plans early is not ahead of schedule, they are on schedule.
The certification that cannot be left for later
Here toys differ from almost everything else, and the first-time importer trips up on exactly this point. A toy is a child safety product, and the law is strict.
- INMETRO mandatory, without exception: every toy sold in Brazil needs compulsory INMETRO certification. It is not optional, there is no way round it, and enforcement is strict. A toy without the mark is seized and impossible to sell with an invoice.
- Small parts and age grading: the standard covers small parts a child could swallow, which is why the age grading on the packaging is mandatory and taken seriously. Toys for children under 3 face an even stricter rule.
- Non-toxicity and edges: paint and material have to be non-toxic, without excess heavy metals, and the product cannot have sharp edges or points. That is what certification checks.
- ANATEL, when connected: a toy with radio, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi remote control adds ANATEL approval to the INMETRO requirement.
Before importing: with toys, certification and inspection go hand in hand. Inspection before shipment checks whether the batch matches the certified sample, whether the paint and material are the approved ones, and whether the assembly is safe. A batch rejected at customs for lack of INMETRO is a total loss. See how quality inspection in China before shipment works and the list of products that require INMETRO, where toys are the classic case.
For the overall picture of costs, taxes and logistics, it is also worth reading how much it costs to import from China and the guide to Incoterms (FOB, CIF and EXW).
China Toy Expo or the Canton Fair?
Both have toys, with different profiles. Canton Fair Phase 3 (31 October to 4 November) has toys inside a general fair, excellent for anyone also buying textiles, gifts and other categories on the same trip. The China Toy Expo is the dedicated fair, with far more manufacturers from the sector, the season’s new releases and the sister fairs for baby, educational and licensed products.
| If you... | Recommended fair | When |
|---|---|---|
| Make your living from toys | China Toy Expo (dedicated fair) | 21 to 23 October |
| Sell toys among other things | Canton Phase 3 | 31 Oct to 4 Nov |
| Want baby and nursery products | China Kids Fair (same complex) | 21 to 23 October |
| Want gifts and Christmas items | Mega Show Hong Kong | 20 to 29 October |
Since they all fall in the same October window and sit close together, the real decision is not “which”, it is “in what order”. That is where a well-built itinerary turns the congestion of dates into an advantage.
How BCVN organises your trip to the China Toy Expo
Toys are a sector where preparation avoids expensive mistakes, because the cheapest item may be the one that fails INMETRO. BCVN organises the trip end to end: we set the itinerary combining the Toy Expo, its sister fairs, the Mega Show and Canton according to your type of shop, separate manufacturers from middlemen, advise from the fair floor on what can realistically be certified, sit in on the meetings with an interpreter and, afterwards, handle negotiation, certification, inspection and importing.
The advantage of October is building the entire end-of-year season on one trip, with enough time for certification to fit within the deadline. You arrive, see the new releases, choose the range and come home with a vetted supplier and the INMETRO route mapped out, not with a catalogue and a doubt. Because dates change with every edition, we always reconfirm the official schedule before closing any trip.
Frequently asked questions about the China Toy Expo and importing toys from China
When and where does the China Toy Expo 2026 take place?
The China Toy Expo (CTE) runs from 21 to 23 October 2026 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Shanghai. It is Asia’s largest toy fair and takes place alongside three others: the China Kids Fair (baby and children), the China Licensing Expo (licensed products) and the China Preschool Expo (educational and STEAM). In Hong Kong, the Mega Show runs in October, in two parts. Dates change with every edition, so reconfirm the official schedule before booking the trip.
What can you find at the China Toy Expo?
Practically the whole toy universe: plush toys, dolls and action figures, remote-control cars, educational and STEAM toys, building blocks, baby toys, games, electronic toys and character licences. Adding up the four fairs in the complex, you cover everything from baby toys to licensed products in a single place, which makes the trip highly efficient for putting together a complete shop range.
Do toys imported from China need INMETRO certification?
Yes, and it is mandatory. Toys carry compulsory INMETRO certification in Brazil, without exception, and enforcement is strict because child safety is at stake. The standard covers small parts that could be swallowed, the absence of sharp edges, the non-toxicity of the paint and the material, and the correct age grading on the packaging. A toy without the INMETRO mark is seized and impossible to sell. Confirm certification before placing any order.
Why buy toys in October if Christmas is in December?
Because of the lead time. Between deciding, negotiating, certifying, inspecting, shipping and clearing customs, the route from China to Brazil takes 60 to 120 days. Anyone going to the fair in October is building the stock for the following year’s Christmas and Black Friday, as well as Children’s Day. Buying in December means arriving after the party. Planning ahead matters even more with toys because of the extra time INMETRO certification takes.
Is the China Toy Expo worth it, or does the Canton Fair already cover toys?
Both work, with different profiles. Canton Fair Phase 3, at the end of October, has toys inside a general fair, useful for anyone buying several categories on the same trip. The China Toy Expo is the fair dedicated to toys, with far more manufacturers from the sector and the season’s new releases, plus the sister fairs for baby products and licensing. Whoever makes toys their business gains at the Toy Expo; anyone buying toys among other things can settle it at Canton.