Every food business is born out of an equipped kitchen, and that kitchen costs a lot. The restaurant owner about to open a second site, the snack bar entrepreneur, the baker modernising production, the coffee shop owner: they all face the same budget, squeezed by branded equipment imported through a reseller. The way out is visible to whoever has worked out that the oven, the cold room and the coffee machine nearly all come from the same Chinese factory, and that you can buy straight from source for a fraction of what the distributor charges.
The place where that whole universe is on display is FHC, the Shanghai Global Food Trade Show, and the 29th edition runs from 10 to 12 November 2026 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Shanghai. This guide explains what the fair is, what you find there, how it fits into the autumn season, and what needs to be settled on compliance before the container ships.
What FHC is: China’s food service fair
FHC is China’s leading fair for food, drink and hospitality, held since the 1990s and organised by Sinoexpo Informa Markets. It brings together thousands of exhibitors in a single complex and draws buyers from all over the world. It has two sides: a large food and drink block aimed at anyone who wants to sell TO the Chinese market, and the block that matters to the importer, the one for food service equipment and supplies. It is in this second one that the buyer finds the opportunity:
Commercial ranges and cooktops, fryers, griddles, combi ovens, extraction hoods and cooking lines for restaurants and snack bars.
Cold rooms, refrigerated counters, freezers, display cabinets and blast chillers: the heart of food service preservation.
Deck and convection ovens, dough mixers, moulders, planetary mixers and display cases: the kit of the bakery and the cake shop.
Espresso machines, grinders, coffee makers, beer dispensers and drinks machines: the coffee shop wave now growing in Brazil.
Chafing dishes, heated buffets, crockery, cutlery, utensils and front-of-house equipment for restaurants, hotels and events.
Sealers, vacuum packers, date coders and food packaging: what secures shelf life, transport and delivery.
Some of these routes already appear in our Showcase: the sealer and vacuum packer for preservation and delivery, the professional coffee machine and grinder of the coffee shop wave, the açaí and soft-serve ice cream machine and the multifunction air fryer for the fast kitchen.
Why import food service equipment from China
Eating out keeps growing in Brazil, driven by delivery, franchising, coffee shops and street food. Every new site needs an equipped kitchen, and branded equipment bought from a reseller weighs far too heavily on the opening budget. China changed that reality, with factories that now export kitchen equipment to the entire world.
- A price that makes the operation viable: the same oven, cold room or coffee machine costs a fraction of the branded price sold in Brazil. That makes it possible to equip a whole site, or open a second one, within a budget that previously did not add up.
- Two buyers: it serves the operator equipping their own business and the distributor or reseller who wants to bring the range to the Brazilian market, with recurring sales of parts, supplies and servicing.
- Repeat business built in: filters, refrigerant gas, packaging, disposables and supplies get used up and come round again. Whoever enters through the equipment opens the door to supplying the consumables, which is the revenue that repeats.
- An ROI you can calculate: this is not an impulse product. The buyer knows how many dishes, loaves or coffees the equipment produces and how long it takes to pay for itself. It is a rational decision, made with numbers.
- Timing: between deciding, negotiating, inspecting, shipping and clearing customs, the typical lead time runs from 60 to 120 days. Whoever places the order in November arrives with the kitchen ready for the start of the year.
The food service maths: the margin sits in the equipment (the big opening purchase) just as much as in the consumables (the repeat purchase of packaging, filters and supplies). Building a relationship that combines the two is what turns a one-off import into recurring supply to the chains that are growing.
FHC, Canton Phase 1 and the autumn season
The autumn season works in favour of anyone who knows how to build the itinerary. Canton Fair Phase 1 (15 to 19 October), with appliances and kitchen equipment, and FHC (10 to 12 November) fall within the same broad window, and each covers a different buying profile. It is not about choosing one, it is about building the right itinerary for your business.
| If you... | Recommended fair | When |
|---|---|---|
| Are setting up or equipping a restaurant or bakery | FHC China (dedicated fair) | 10 to 12 November |
| Want professional coffee, bakery or refrigeration | FHC China (niche depth) | 10 to 12 November |
| Buy kitchen equipment among other categories | Canton Phase 1 | 15 to 19 October |
| Are after utensils and crockery in volume | Yiwu Trade Fair | October and November |
FHC is in Shanghai and Canton in Guangzhou, a short flight apart, which makes it possible to design a season that combines FHC’s dedicated depth with the general variety of the Yiwu Trade Fair and Canton. It is worth checking the full calendar of China trade fairs 2026 to fit the dates together and plan the trip.
Compliance before importing kitchen equipment
Food service equipment looks simple, but the compliance bar shifts a great deal depending on the item, and that is exactly where the unwary importer trips up. It pays to separate them by type before placing any order.
- INMETRO: electrical equipment (ovens, coffee machines, vacuum sealers, refrigeration) may require certification. Confirm the category before importing, and pay attention to voltage: a lot of professional equipment is 220V or 380V three-phase.
- Food contact: parts and surfaces that touch food have to meet the sanitary rules for food-contact materials, which fall under ANVISA. The right steel and the right plastic matter.
- ANATEL: equipment with radio, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (connected machines, app control) needs approval to enter the country legally.
- MAPA and ANVISA (if you import food): if alongside the equipment you also bring in the ingredient, the food or the drink, registration and specific sanitary requirements come into play, and those are not sorted out at the last minute.
Before importing: food service is a sector where the sample deceives. The finish in the catalogue is not always the one in the batch, and thin steel or a weak motor only show up once the operation is running. Inspection before shipment confirms that the equipment leaving the factory is what you bought, with the right voltage and the right finish. See how quality inspection in China before shipment works and the list of products that require INMETRO.
For the overall picture of import costs and logistics, it is worth reading how much it costs to import from China and the guide to Incoterms (FOB, CIF and EXW).
How BCVN organises your trip to FHC
Food service is the kind of purchase where the variety impresses and the compliance frightens. BCVN organises the trip end to end: we set the itinerary that combines FHC with Canton according to your project, map the kitchen, refrigeration, bakery and coffee factories that matter to you, separate who manufactures from who merely resells, sit in on the meetings with an interpreter and, after the fair, handle negotiation, voltage specification, inspection and importing, including sanitary compliance where the equipment or the ingredient requires it.
The advantage of going is seeing the equipment running in front of you and comparing hundreds of factories on the spot, instead of betting on a catalogue. You arrive, test the machine, settle the list and come home with a chosen supplier and compliance under way, not with an uncertainty. Because dates change with every edition, we always reconfirm the official schedule before closing any trip.
Frequently asked questions about FHC and importing food service equipment from China
When and where does FHC China 2026 take place?
FHC China 2026, the 29th edition of the Shanghai Global Food Trade Show, runs from 10 to 12 November 2026 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Shanghai. It is China’s leading fair for food, drink and food service and hospitality equipment. Dates change with every edition, so reconfirm the official schedule before booking the trip.
What can you find at FHC China?
Two large blocks. On one side, food and drink from all over the world, aimed at anyone who wants to sell TO China. On the other, what matters most to the importer: professional kitchen equipment, refrigeration and freezers, ovens and bakery and pastry equipment, coffee and drinks machines, buffet and service lines, and food packaging (vacuum sealers and packaging kit). It is the fair dedicated to food service, with far more depth than the kitchen aisle of a general fair.
Does kitchen equipment imported from China need certification?
Yes, depending on the type. Electrical equipment (ovens, coffee machines, vacuum sealers, refrigeration) may require INMETRO certification, and anything with radio or Wi-Fi requires ANATEL. Parts and surfaces in contact with food have to meet the sanitary rules for food-contact materials, which fall under ANVISA. If you also import the food or the drink itself, MAPA and ANVISA come into play depending on the product. Confirm the requirement for each item before placing the order.
Is it worth importing food service equipment from China?
Yes, for anyone setting up, re-equipping or reselling. China concentrates the manufacture of professional kitchen equipment, refrigeration, bakery and coffee kit, at prices far below the traditional brands. The gain lies in equipping a whole restaurant, snack bar, bakery or coffee shop at a cost that makes the operation viable, and in supplying the chains that are growing; the care lies in vetting the manufacturer, specifying the right voltage, settling compliance and securing service and spare parts in Brazil.
FHC or the Canton Fair for kitchen equipment?
Both work, with different focuses. FHC China (10 to 12 November, Shanghai) is the fair dedicated to food service and hospitality, with depth in professional kitchens, bakery, coffee and refrigeration, ideal for anyone about to set up or equip a food business. Canton Fair Phase 1 (15 to 19 October) has appliances and kitchen equipment inside a general fair, which suits anyone combining it with other purchases. The two can be combined in the autumn season.