Security stopped being a concern only for large companies. Residential buildings, neighbourhood shops, small farms, homes and small businesses now buy cameras, alarms and access control as essential items. On the other side of the world, a single city concentrates the manufacturing that supplies this market: Shenzhen, the global hub of electronic security, the source of the cameras, recorders and systems installed everywhere.
For the installer, the security retailer, the systems integrator and the reseller after a better margin, one fair brings that whole universe together in a single place: CPSE. This guide explains what the fair is, what you find there, how it fits into the October peak of the Chinese fair calendar, and what to confirm on compliance before importing. CPSE takes place in Shenzhen and is biennial, in odd years: the 20th edition ran in October 2025 and the next one, the 21st, runs from 28 to 31 October 2027, at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. There is no 2026 edition, which leaves time to plan the trip calmly instead of chasing the date.
What CPSE is and why it matters
CPSE (China Public Security Expo) is the largest electronic security exhibition in the world, held in Shenzhen, the heart of the global CCTV industry. It gathers everyone from the big camera and recorder manufacturers to suppliers of access control, alarms, smart locks and smart city and AI recognition technology. For an importer, it is the ideal setting for something an online catalogue cannot deliver: seeing the equipment running, comparing manufacturers side by side and telling who actually manufactures from who merely resells.
It is also a fair about project and after-sales selling. Unlike an impulse product, a security system involves firmware, an app, warranty, technical support and homologation. That makes it exactly the kind of import that benefits most from a visit to the source before signing any contract: the end customer is buying trust, and trust gets validated at the fair.
What you find at CPSE
The fair covers practically the entire electronic security spectrum. The categories of most interest to the Brazilian importer:
IP, PTZ, bullet and dome cameras, Wi-Fi and solar models, with night vision and 4K resolution, Shenzhen's strongest segment.
Digital and network video recorders, storage and the video management solutions that complete the CCTV system.
Turnstiles, face and fingerprint readers, keypads and access locks for companies, gyms and residential buildings.
Alarm panels, motion and door sensors, sirens and monitored kits for homes and shops.
Electronic locks, video door phones and smart doorbells with a camera, one of the fastest-growing categories in Brazil.
Face and licence plate recognition, AI video analytics and integrated monitoring solutions for government and large corporations.
Several of these segments already have clear demand in Brazil and show up in our Showcase of fair finds: the smart lock and video door phone, the Wi-Fi and solar security camera, the vehicle dashcam and the action camera. They are good starting points for understanding the cost and resale logic before going to the fair.
Why 2027 is the moment to import electronic security
Importing equipment is not an impulse purchase: between deciding, sourcing, negotiating, inspecting, shipping and clearing customs, the typical lead time runs from 60 to 120 days. Anyone going to CPSE in October 2027 is building the stock and the resale line for the following year, in a sector where demand grows every year. Reaching the decision early is what separates buying well from paying dearly for haste.
The profit logic is the usual one in good sourcing: low cost at the source, healthy resale margin in Brazil, with the advantage that security is a system sale, not a single-part sale. Whoever imports the camera also sells the recorder, the cabling, the installation and the maintenance contract. Add to that a broad audience, from the independent installer to the systems integrator, and a catalogue that renews itself at every edition.
CPSE, Canton Fair or Hong Kong Electronics? Combine the fairs
Here is the opportunity the Chinese calendar hides. Canton Fair Phase 1 (in October, in Guangzhou) has an electronics section that includes security and cameras, alongside energy, tools and vehicles. The Hong Kong Electronics Fair reinforces smart consumer electronics, useful for locks, video door phones and connected cameras. And CPSE, in Shenzhen, is the dedicated fair, with the depth only a sector event offers.
Because Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong sit in the same region, the Pearl River Delta, you can build an itinerary that combines more than one fair in a single trip. In a CPSE year, start at Canton for volume and general variety and finish at CPSE for the deep dive into security. In 2026, when there is no CPSE, Canton Phase 1 and Hong Kong Electronics cover the security and camera side on their own. It is also worth looking at the comparison between Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Yiwu to decide what makes sense in your itinerary, and the full calendar of China trade fairs 2026 to fit CPSE into your year.
The traffic-jam argument: in October 2027 several heavyweight fairs fall in the same region and the same window. That is not a problem, it is an advantage for anyone who plans. One flight, a well-built itinerary, and you cover Canton, Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the same trip.
Compliance before importing electronic security
This is where importers get the nastiest surprises. Cameras and security equipment are not off-the-shelf goods: the rule changes with the item, and enforcement is strict.
- ANATEL: cameras and equipment with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or any radio require ANATEL homologation. This is the most critical point in the category, because almost every modern security product is connected. Product without homologation can be held at customs and cannot be sold with an invoice.
- INMETRO: power supplies and electrical items may require compulsory certification. Confirm the category before placing the order.
- LGPD and privacy: security involves capturing and storing images. It pays to structure the operation, the firmware and the data policy in line with the LGPD, Brazil's general data protection law, which is also a selling point with corporate clients.
- Firmware, app and voltage: confirm a Portuguese-language app, stable firmware and the right voltage (110V, 220V or dual voltage). A system with an unstable app or no support destroys your brand's reputation.
Before importing: in electronic security, inspection with a working test of the hardware, firmware and app is practically mandatory. It confirms image quality, system stability and homologation before the container leaves China. See how quality inspection in China before shipment works and the list of products that require INMETRO.
For the wider picture of rules, deadlines and logistics, it is also worth reading the guide on how to import equipment from China, which applies directly to security equipment.
How BCVN plans your trip to CPSE
Going to a sector fair in China unprepared wastes the trip. BCVN organises it end to end: we define the itinerary combining CPSE, Canton Fair and Hong Kong according to your business, identify in the halls who is a manufacturer and who is a middleman, sit in on the meetings with an interpreter and, after the fair, run the negotiation, inspection and sourcing. You arrive, look, test the system running and come home with validated suppliers, not with a catalogue of promises.
Because fair dates change from edition to edition, we always reconfirm the official schedule before booking any trip. BCVN's role is to turn the October congestion into a lean, productive agenda.
Frequently asked questions about CPSE and importing security from China
When and where is the next CPSE?
CPSE (China Public Security Expo) takes place in Shenzhen and is biennial, in odd years. The 20th edition ran in October 2025 and the next one, the 21st, runs from 28 to 31 October 2027 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, in Futian. There is no 2026 edition. Because fair dates change from edition to edition, reconfirming the official date before booking the trip is essential. BCVN tracks the calendar and builds the itinerary from the confirmed date.
What kind of security products can you find in China?
China manufactures practically the entire electronic security spectrum: cameras and CCTV (IP, PTZ, bullet, dome, Wi-Fi and solar), DVR and NVR recorders, access control and biometrics, alarms and sensors, smart locks and video door phones, plus smart city, recognition and AI solutions. Shenzhen is the heart of that industry, and CPSE brings the manufacturers together in one place.
Does a security camera imported from China need ANATEL and INMETRO?
Yes, where applicable. Cameras and equipment with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or any radio require ANATEL homologation, and power supplies and electrical items may require INMETRO certification. Since image capture is involved, it is also worth structuring the operation in line with Brazil's LGPD data protection law. Confirm the category and the paperwork before placing the order.
Is it worth going to CPSE, or should I just buy online?
Electronic security is a project and after-sales sale: the customer is buying trust, warranty and support. Seeing the equipment running, comparing manufacturers side by side, telling a factory from a trading company and validating firmware, app and homologation at the fair cuts the risk far below closing a deal from an online catalogue alone. It is the kind of purchase that benefits most from going to the source before importing.