Where in China are small goods, electronics, apparel, furniture, toys, small appliances and hardware made? 10 industrial clusters with official data
Answer
Ten clusters: Yiwu (small commodities), Shenzhen (electronics), Humen in Dongguan (apparel), Dongguan (furniture), Jinjiang (footwear and sportswear), Chenghai in Shantou (toys), Cixi in Ningbo (small appliances), Yongkang (hardware), Caoxian (hanfu and wood products) and Foshan (home furnishings). The table gives each cluster's main products, scale figures from local government statistical bulletins (with year), the official market or trade fair, and the official entry point for buyers. Only government and official fair sources are used; anything not found is marked "not found". This page does not recommend any factory.
- Applies to
- Overseas buyers who want to know where to source in China; sellers who want to know where their competitors cluster.
The 10 clusters at a glance
| Cluster | Main products | Scale (official figures) | Official market or fair | Buyer entry point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yiwu, Zhejiang · small commodities | Household goods, home items, textiles and trims, stationery and gifts, beauty | 2025 market turnover ¥360.69 billion (+14.5%); 97,400 market traders; exports ¥730.69 billion (+24.1%), 82.0% under market procurement | China Commodity City (chinagoods); Yiwu International Commodities Fair | Yiwu Commerce Bureau: overseas buyer registration |
| Shenzhen, Guangdong · electronics | Phones, computers, ICs, components, home AV | 2024: 4,842 large electronics manufacturers, output ¥2.87 trillion; 2025: 385 million phones, 45.9 million computers | China Hi-Tech Fair | No dedicated buyer portal found; use the fair's pre-registration |
| Humen, Dongguan · apparel | Womenswear, kidswear, casualwear, fabrics and trims | 2024 apparel output over ¥43 billion, sales over ¥84 billion; about 3,100 firms (2022) | Humen International Fashion Fair | Dongguan Commerce Bureau supplier matching |
| Dongguan · furniture | Panel and solid-wood furniture, sofas and mattresses, custom fit-out, office | Houjie town: 700+ furniture firms, ~20 large showrooms (year not stated) | Dongguan International Famous Furniture Fair | Same as above |
| Jinjiang, Fujian · footwear and sportswear | Sports shoes, apparel, shoe materials, shoe machinery, sporting goods | Chendai town: 7,000+ shoe and supply firms, 1 billion+ pairs of sports shoes a year (2024); Jan–May 2026 sporting goods exports over ¥10 billion | Jinjiang Footwear Expo | Expo buyer centre |
| Chenghai, Shantou · toys | Plastic toys, building blocks, designer toys, smart learning toys | 2025 Chenghai toy output over ¥50 billion, ~60,000 toy businesses; Shantou toy exports ¥11.06 billion; about 70% of the world's plastic toys | Chenghai International Toys & Gifts Fair (25th edition, 29 Oct–1 Nov 2026) | Fair buyer registration |
| Cixi, Ningbo · small appliances | Fans, heaters, kitchen and personal-care appliances, water purifiers | 2024 smart-appliance cluster output ¥93.28 billion (+7.6%); 19 million household fans a year | China Cixi Home Appliance Expo (official site under review) | Cixi foreign-trade one-stop platform |
| Yongkang, Zhejiang · hardware | Power tools, hand tools, vacuum flasks, door locks | 2024: 1,009 large firms, sales output ¥104.13 billion; export delivery ¥33.68 billion (+17.2%) | China Hardware Fair (UFI-approved 2025) | No online portal found; the fair has an international sourcing zone |
| Caoxian, Shandong · hanfu and wood products | Hanfu (mamian skirts), stage costumes, wood panels, wooden crafts | 2025: 2,822 hanfu firms, sales over ¥13 billion, 50%+ of China's market; 2024 wood processing output ¥59.42 billion | Caoxian e-Shang Town; China Forest Products Trading Centre | Not found |
| Foshan, Guangdong · home furnishings | Sofas and mattresses, solid-wood and panel furniture, office furniture | 2024: 678 large furniture makers, output ¥85.97 billion; 2025 furniture exports ¥18.93 billion (+1.1%) | Lecong Furniture City | Lecong Foreigner Service Centre |
All amounts are in Chinese yuan (RMB), from each local government's statistical bulletin; "+" is year-on-year growth.
How to read these numbers
- A large cluster means many similar factories and suppliers nearby: easier to compare prices and find alternatives. It says nothing about any single factory.
- Output, turnover and exports are different measures and cannot be compared with each other.
- The markets and fairs are official or government-backed. Individual factories still need checking: see "How do I verify a Chinese supplier?".
What you can do yourself
- Find the cluster for your product and check the official fair dates and buyer pre-registration.
- Prepare an RFQ before you go: specs, quantity, certifications, lead time, payment terms.
- Once you shortlist a factory, check its business licence and certificates, then place a small trial order.
When to use a licensed professional
- For large contracts, mould ownership or exclusivity clauses, have an international trade lawyer review the contract.
- For factory audits and pre-shipment inspection, use an accredited third-party inspection company.
Checks before you pay, and red flags
- Anyone calling themselves a "government-appointed sourcing agent" or "official matching centre" and asking for fees: check with the local commerce bureau's website first.
- Deposit only with no samples, refusing a video factory tour, or pushing for full payment up front are red flags.
Unknowns
- Shenzhen's 2025 electronics output in absolute terms: only the growth rate is published.
- Humen apparel exports, Jinjiang total footwear firms, Chenghai district exports: only partial figures published.
- The Cixi appliance expo's official homepage looks abnormal; not listed for now.
- Caoxian's 2025 statistical bulletin is not yet public.
- Lecong and Houjie figures do not state a year.
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