Hydrogen cell-powered and electric bicycles are drawing crowds and clinching deals at the ongoing 137th Canton Fair, as manufacturers showcase cutting-edge green technologies reshaping global supply chains.
The 137th edition of the Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday. An exhibition area at the fair for service robots was packed with visitors. The zone was set up for the first time at the fair. It is in operation during phase I of the fair, themed advanced manufacturing.
The intelligent exhibition zone features over 1,100 participating enterprises showcasing more than 320,000 smart products, according to official statistics.
One of the hydrogen cell-powered and electric bicycles on display at the fair is a zero-emission scooter developed by a Chinese tech firm. It offers three modes: manual pedaling, hydrogen-assisted riding, and a hybrid mode. When activated, the latter two modes will convert hydrogen from a compact storage canister -- roughly the size of a water bottle -- into electricity via a fuel cell.
This not only powers the bike but also charges an integrated lithium battery for additional energy reserves.
A single canister, capable of storing hydrogen at 200 liters, or 500 times its volume, provides a range of 40-60 kilometers. Crucially, the production process relies solely on purified water, emitting no harmful pollutants during operation.
The innovation has sparked significant interest among international buyers.
"It's like a unique innovation, and we really, really like the concept. We are looking forward to doing some businesses here," said a purchaser.
"Many customers from India, Japan and Europe said they want to come over and have a look. We would like to hear more voices from abroad, so that we can update our products based on market demand. This is our fourth time to come to the fair, and we've actually gained a lot," said Fang Xinyu, the hydrogen-powered scooter exhibitor.
Nearby, another electric bicycle and scooter booth is exhibiting over a dozen self-designed models, including foldable bikes, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATV).
He Wu, the company's representative, emphasized heavy investment in R-and-D, claiming that all exhibits at their booth own independent intellectual property rights.
About 30 percent of human cost is spent on research and development, he said.
The push for homegrown brands aligns with China's broader trade trends. Official data reveal that the exports of self-owned brand products surged 10.2 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 22.8 percent of total export value.
The current edition of the fair features over 17,000 exhibitors with proprietary brands and nearly 22,000 companies holding international certifications, a testament to the country's ambition to ascend on global supply chains.
Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China and has been hailed as a barometer of China's foreign trade.
Green technology shines at Canton Fair as hydrogen bikes emerge popular
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
