"Where can I find suppliers?" – this is the main question faced by everyone planning to start purchasing goods from China. Chinese manufacturing is structured in such a way that factories and plants of the same profile are often concentrated in a specific province or even city, rather than scattered across the country. This undoubtedly benefits entrepreneurs, allowing them to visit several manufacturers in one trip without spending time on long journeys and flights.
We have selected the product categories that are most in demand among Russian importers and provided the locations of factories and plants that have large production capacities, hold leading positions in their respective industries in terms of price and quality, and have experience in export. We believe our article will be especially useful for entrepreneurs who are still deciding what can be imported from China to Russia.
Lighting
More than 80% of lighting fixtures and lamps in China are produced in the "City of Light, Zhongshan" (中山), Guangdong Province. You can also visit factories in Ningbo (宁波), Jiangmen (江门), Shenzhen (深圳), Huizhou (惠州), Changzhou (江苏), Yantai (烟台) – all of which are also located within Guangdong Province.
Furniture
The widely known "Furniture City" is Foshan (佛山) in Guangdong Province, which is home to over 200 furniture shopping centers and thousands of factories producing furniture, flooring, sanitary ware, and other home goods.
Also no less popular among importers is Fuzhou (福州) in Fujian Province, which has about 12,000 enterprises producing furniture and household items (including daily necessities, personal care products, kitchenware, etc.). Most local enterprises have been engaged in export since their establishment, so they know all the intricacies of communicating with clients from abroad.
Household Appliances
China's household appliance production is mainly based in Hefei (合肥), Anhui Province. Here you can visit factories producing air conditioners, televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators.
More than 3,000 manufacturers of microwave ovens, air conditioners, electric fans, and other small household appliances are concentrated in the Shunde district of Foshan (顺德佛山), Guangdong Province.
Hardware & Fittings
Industrial bases for the production of metal products, including home hardware, are located in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Jiangsu provinces. For specific items, you can go to the following places:
- Locks – Wenzhou (温州), Zhejiang Prov.;
- Door hardware – Yongkang (永康), Zhejiang Prov.; Daxin County (大新), Jiangsu Prov.;
- Faucets – Shuikou, Guangdong Prov.; Yuhuan County (玉环), Zhejiang Prov.;
- Hinges and guide rails – Leliu District (勒流), Guangdong Prov.;
- Stainless steel products – Xinhui District (新会区), Guangdong Prov.;
- Metal products – Yuyao County (余姚), Zhejiang Prov.; Linyi (临沂), Shandong Prov.;
- Tools – Jinhua (金华), Zhejiang Prov.;
- Kitchen and bathroom hardware – Fenghua County (奉化), Zhejiang Prov.;
- Shower enclosures and components – Zhongshan (中山), Guangdong Prov.;
- Zippers – Shantou Prefecture (汕头), Guangdong Prov.; Yiwu (义乌), Zhejiang Prov.
Electronics
Guangdong Province accounts for more than 30% of all electronic goods production in China. Huaqiangbei Street (华强北) in Shenzhen is the largest electronics market in China (of the 20 shopping centers, 6 are completely dedicated to the sale of all kinds of digital goods – primarily phones, chips, and microcircuits).
In the two county-level cities of Yuyao (余姚) and Cixi (慈溪), located near Ningbo, you can purchase household appliances like hair curlers, hair dryers, blenders, irons, waffle makers, etc.
To purchase trendy gadgets, you can go to Guangzhou (广州) and Dongguan (东莞).
Metal Products
The highest concentration of metal industry products is in Yongkang (永康), which is also called the "City of Five Metals" due to the large concentration of manufacturers in this sector. Here you can buy everything from thermoses and power tools to massive iron doors, hoverboards, and electric scooters.
Home Goods & Decor
Fujian is the largest producer and exporter of home decoration items in China. According to public statistics, the annual export volume of this product category in the province exceeds 100 billion yuan.
In terms of subcategories and location, for interior items you should go to Minhou (闽侯), for paintings – to Putian (莆田), for iron products – to Anxi (安溪), for garden supplies – to Quanzhou (泉州), for bamboo and wood products – to Longyan (龙岩), for small wooden crafts – to Ningde (宁德).
Home Textiles and Interior Items
Depending on the product, you can go to the following cities:
- Nantong (南通), Jiangsu Province – for textile products;
- Shaoxing (绍兴), Zhejiang Province – for curtains;
- Yiwu (义乌), Zhejiang Province – for interior items;
- Tianjin (天津) – for carpets;
- Gaoyang (高阳), Hebei Province – for towels.
Small Goods, Souvenirs
The city of Yiwu (义乌) in Zhejiang Province is the largest production center for small goods in China. It is also home to the world's largest wholesale market.
Ceramics and Porcelain
The four main ceramic production areas in China are:
- Jingdezhen (景德镇), Jiangxi Province.
The small city of Jingdezhen is the historical "porcelain capital" of China, where the art of making tableware, tea sets, and vases has thrived for over 1800 years. There are over 100 factories here that produce and sell porcelain products in domestic and international markets.
- Nanhai District, Foshan City (佛山市南海区), Guangdong Province.
Guangdong is also one of the main production locations for ceramic wall and floor tiles in China. Currently, its annual output accounts for more than 50% of the national total.
- Dehua County, Quanzhou City (泉州市德化县), Fujian Province.
The city itself is called the "world's birthplace of white porcelain." Many local enterprises are also engaged in the production of exterior wall tiles – typically small factories with small kilns and presses.
- Yixing (宜兴), Jiangsu Province.
The city of Yixing has a 7,000-year history of pottery. Local craftsmen pass down the secrets of pottery production from generation to generation, preserving the best historical traditions in their art. It is said that this town was where the first teapot was made, which humanity still uses today. In addition to pottery, there is also much architectural ceramics here.
Kitchenware
The world-famous city of Yongkang (永康) in Zhejiang Province is universally recognized as the leading supplier of kitchenware in China. You can also travel to the cities of Liling (株洲市) and Zhuzhou (醴陵市) in Hunan Province, which the Chinese government is striving to turn into "ceramic cities of the future" by strongly supporting local production.
Footwear
The largest production base for sports shoes in China is located in Jinjiang City (晋江), Fujian Province. Chendai Town (晋江陈埭) currently accounts for 8.5% of the world's production of this category. In Jinjiang City alone, there are over 3,000 footwear production and operation enterprises with an annual output exceeding 700 million pairs and an annual production value exceeding 20 billion yuan.
A huge selection for footwear wholesalers can be found in Putian (莆田市) and Wenzhou (温州).
For women's shoes, you can go to cities like Chengdu (成都武侯区), Huizhou (惠州), Dongguan (东莞), Wenzhou (温州), Chongqing (重庆), and others.
For replicas of branded shoes, go to the world-famous city of Guangzhou (广州).
Bags and Luggage
The "Luggage City" is Baigou (白沟) in Hebei Province, where 150 large local factories and over 3,000 individual processing enterprises have formed a large-scale production capacity capable of supplying up to 150 million units of product to the market annually. Bags, suitcases, and wallets from Baigou are distributed to other wholesale markets in China and abroad.
Other centers of the leather goods industry in China are located in the Shiling (狮岭), Panyu (番禺), and Huadu (花都) districts of Guangzhou, as well as in Shenzhen (深圳) – this is where the most extensive production base for high-end bags is located.
Zhejiang Province is the second-largest supplier of leather bags, accounting for a quarter of China's total production – the local leather industry is one of the region's traditional sectors and is characterized by low processing costs and high quality of the final product. The main factories are concentrated in the cities of Yiwu (义乌), Haining (海宁), and Cangnan (苍南).
Towels
Gaoyang County (高阳县) in Hebei Province is unofficially known as the "textile county" as it accounts for one-third of China's total towel production, which is then exported to more than 30 countries worldwide, including Russia. Towel factories using bamboo fiber can also be visited in Anji (安吉), Guangzhou (广州), Yiwu (义乌), and other cities.
Clothing
Factories producing:
- Women's clothing are located in Guangzhou (广州), Humen (虎门), Shenzhen (深圳) in Guangdong Province, and Hangzhou (杭州) in Zhejiang Province;
- Men's clothing are located in Ningbo (宁波), Zhejiang Province, and Quanzhou (泉州), Fujian Province.
Socks
The country's largest production base for socks (over 85%) is located in the Datang market, Zhuji City (诸暨市大唐镇), Zhejiang Province. A large assortment of hosiery is also available in Liaoyuan (辽源), Jilin Province, and Foshan (佛山), Guangdong Province.
Underwear
Guangdong
Chaoyang District, Shantou Prefecture (汕头潮阳):
– The most large-scale production chain with the widest range of underwear.
Yanbu Town, Nanhai District (南海盐步):
– Large selection of bras.
Gongming District, Shenzhen (深圳公明):
– Production center for world-famous brands and replicas.
Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan District (中山小榄):
– Large selection of underpants.
Fujian
Jinjiang City (福建晋江):
– Export-oriented underwear production.
Zhejiang
Yiwu (义乌):
– Seamless underwear production.
Wenzhou (温州):
– Underwear production according to Chinese standards.
Shanghai
– Sales of the best branded underwear.
Jiangsu
Guanyun County, Lianyungang Prefecture (连云港灌):
– Wide selection of provocative lingerie.
Children's and Baby Products
In search of children's diapers, toys, children's clothing and shoes, baby food, as well as bags and stationery for children, you should go to Quanzhou (泉州) in Fujian Province, which is one of the important production centers for the children's industry in China. Thousands of enterprises are concentrated here, with an annual output worth tens of billions of dollars.
Children's Clothing
For children's clothing, you can go to:
- Zhejiang Province, Zhili Town (湖州织里镇) – about 30% of all children's clothing in China is produced here;
- Guangdong Province, the cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan (广州佛山东莞区域) – their denim production is particularly famous in China;
- Shandong Province, the cities of Qingdao and Jimo (青岛即墨) – most factories in this region produce clothing based on Korean and Japanese patterns.
Toys
The three main toy production cities are:
- Chenghai (澄海) and Shantou (汕头) in Guangdong,
- Yunhe County (云和) in Zhejiang,
- Anhai in Fujian (福晋江的安海镇)
- Shanghai (上海).
Toy production in Chenghai accounts for 25% of China's total, of which over 75% is exported to more than 140 countries worldwide.
Yunhe County (云和) – the "Chinese wooden toy city" – is interesting to visit not only for purchasing goods but also to experience the unique "toy" atmosphere of this city.
Eyeglasses and Lenses
Danyang (丹阳) in Jiangsu Province is the largest production center, annually producing over 300 million glasses and lenses (approximately 40% of the global market and 70% of China's domestic market).
Cosmetics and Beauty Products
For various beauty gadgets, you should go to Guangdong Province, particularly to Shenzhen (深圳).
If you are looking for raw materials or finished cosmetic products, you can go to one of China's production centers:
- Guangdong Province is one of the largest cosmetics production bases in the country. According to statistics, cosmetic companies in Guangdong Province account for over 30% of the national market share and are mainly located in cities such as Guangzhou (广州), Shenzhen (深圳), and Dongguan (东莞).
- Zhejiang Province, whose cosmetics industry is developed in Hangzhou (杭州), Ningbo (宁波), and Wenzhou (温州). Among these, Hangzhou has the highest number of cosmetic companies.
- Jiangsu Province, whose cosmetics manufacturing companies are mainly located in cities such as Nanjing (南京), Suzhou (苏州), Changzhou (常州), and Wuxi (无锡).
Pet Food
Nanhe County (南和县) in Hebei Province has 40 large-scale pet food production enterprises that produce over 330 registered pet food brands – it is currently the largest base for the development and production of pet food in China, which also operates for export.
Fishing Tackle
The main cities for fishing tackle production are Weihai (威海) in Shandong Province, Gu'an (固安) in Hebei Province, and Cixi (慈溪) in Zhejiang Province.
Motorcycles and Bicycles
Taizhou (台州) in Zhejiang Province concentrates over 40% of the output, a significant portion of which is exported.
Paper
The main industrial bases are concentrated in the following cities:
- Dongguan (东莞) and Jiangmen (江门), Guangdong Province,
- Weifang (潍坊), Shandong Province,
- Taicang (太仓), Jiangsu Province,
- Chongqing (重庆).
Packaging
In Cangnan County (苍南), Wenzhou City, you can purchase all kinds of cardboard boxes and bags needed for original gift packaging.
Guitars
The main hub of China's guitar industry is Huiyang (惠阳) in Guangdong Province, whose guitar production accounts for 60% of the Chinese market and 25% of the global market. Ukuleles from Huiyang (惠阳) account for 80% of global sales. Many manufacturers can also be visited in Zheng'an (正安).