Trading
Trading / Yiwu
Yiwu International Trade City
Yiwu is located in the central area of Zhejiang province with a total land area of 1,105 square kilometres. It is 300 km southwest of Shanghai (2:15 hours’ ride by expressway), 120 km south of Hangzhou (1 hour) and 1.5 hours from Ningbo.
The whole city governs 8 towns and 5 subdistricts, and has a population of 670,000 registered as local domiciliary and 600,000 as external temporary. Yiwu has a long history: it was Wushang County in the 25th year of Ying Zheng of the Qin Dynasty (222 B.C.), was renamed in the 7th year of Wu De of the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 624), and was established as a City in 1998.
About China, the Yiwu International Fair and Yiwu Market
China Yiwu International Commodities Fair is sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Commerce PRC and the People’s Government of Zhejiang province. Due to its distinct features, prominent internationalization, convenient information access, perfect services system as well as sound security and sanitation, Yiwu Fair ranks as the second best fair (the first being the Canton Fair). It is the biggest and the most efficient fair of general merchandise in China. More than 15,000 foreign traders from 150 countries & regions, more than 80 trading and purchase groups and 20 trans-national purchase groups attend the Yiwu Fair, held every year in October.
The Market of Yiwu is in fact composed of a succession of several markets spread over the city. There are about twenty markets, some of which are gathered in the same building. The main markets include:
Arts & crafts
Gifts made of glass, wood and metal, 3D crystal items, beads, Christmas products and decoration items.
Gardening & umbrellas
Gardening market, umbrellas market and artificial-flowers market.
Stationery
Ball pens, fountain pens, advertising pens, pencils, erasers, pen boxes, files and all kinds of stationery.
Sport & leisure
Fishing, music and other leisure markets, clocks and watches, eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Home & hardware
Kitchen and bathroom hardware (plastic market), toys, candles, cosmetics and small home appliances.
Fashion & accessories
Fashion jewellery, mobile-phone accessories, bags and leather products, shoes, tissue, cloths and socks.
Yiwu succeeded in attracting many Chinese companies and factories — from Beijing to Guangzhou, including Shanghai and the neighbouring regions, the most active from an economic point of view — so many factories come here to set up showrooms. It then became the biggest small-commodities export centre. Many foreign purchasers come to Yiwu to buy goods, which makes Yiwu Market ever more competitive.
Why do more and more foreign buyers come to Yiwu?
- Yiwu is the largest general-merchandise trade city in China, where approximately 400,000 kinds of products are displayed. The Yiwu China Small Commodities City Market (total area: 2,600,000 square metres) is open all year round — like the biggest everyday fair in the world, “a sea of commodities and a paradise for suppliers”.
- The market accepts small-quantity orders; if required, one container can include lots of items from different suppliers.
- All prices in the market are original prices from the factories.
- There is a very large quantity of products available — no long waits or unnecessary delays for products or samples.
- Yiwu provides multiple shipping choices — a whole container or a partial container load.
Authorities conclude that Yiwu Market will be the centre of the international trade of commodities.
Trading / Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Canton Fair
Guangzhou is the capital and a sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province in southern China, also known by the English name Canton. It is a port on the Pearl River, navigable to the South China Sea, about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Hong Kong.
As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 6 million and a metropolitan population of roughly 8.5 million, making it the most populous city in the province and the third most populous metropolitan area in mainland China. The first known city on the site was Panyu, founded in 214 B.C.
China Import and Export Fair
The China Import and Export Fair, also called the Canton Fair, is held twice a year in Spring and Autumn and has run since it was inaugurated in the Spring of 1957. It is China’s largest trade fair — of the highest level, the most complete varieties, and the largest attendance and business turnover. Preserving its traditions, the Fair is a comprehensive, multi-functional event of international importance.
The Fair leans towards export trade, though import business is also done here. Alongside trade, various activities such as economic and technical cooperation and exchanges, commodity inspection, insurance, transportation, advertising and consultation are carried out in flexible ways. Business people from all over the world gather in Guangzhou to exchange information and develop friendships.
Canton Fair dates (every year)
- Spring session — April, held in three phases.
- Autumn session — October, held in three phases.
- Each phase runs for several days, grouping related product categories together.
Canton Fair major categories
- Phase 1 — electronics & household electrical appliances, hardware, machinery, building materials, vehicles.
- Phase 2 — consumer goods, gifts, home decorations, ceramics and household items.
- Phase 3 — textiles & garments, shoes, office supplies, food, medicines and health products.
When visiting the Canton Fair you also have the opportunity to visit factories and related fairs in the province — see Commercial areas: South China. If you wish to use our company’s services, please contact us.
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Planning to buy or sell in China?
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