Where in 
China are small goods, electronics, apparel, furniture, toys, small appliances and hardware made? 10 sourcing clusters and public data in detail
Answer
Ten common sourcing clusters (not an official ranking): 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, and markets, trade fairs and buyer service entry points, with their operators identified where verified. The main table only shows figures checked against an official original (with year and basis); figures we have not yet checked against the original table are listed separately under "Figures to be rechecked" and should not be used for sourcing decisions. 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.
Dear friend,
Welcome! This letter sets out what you need to know, plainly and in order.
The 10 clusters at a glance
| Cluster | Main products | Scale (checked official source, with year and basis) | Market, fair or service entry point | Buyer entry point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yiwu, Zhejiang · small commodities | Household goods, home items, textiles and trims, stationery and gifts, beauty | Figures to be rechecked, see below | China Commodity City (chinagoods); Yiwu International Commodities Fair | |
| Shenzhen, Guangdong · electronics | Phones, computers, ICs, components, home AV | 2025: 385 million phones, approximately 45.87 million computers (statistical bulletin) | China Hi-Tech Fair | No dedicated buyer portal found; use the fair's pre-registration |
| Humen, Dongguan · apparel | Womenswear, kidswear, casualwear, fabrics and trims | Apparel output over ¥43 billion, sales over ¥84 billion (2024); about 3,100 firms (2022); different sources and years | ||
| Dongguan · furniture | Panel and solid-wood furniture, sofas and mattresses, custom fit-out, office | Houjie town: 700+ furniture firms, nearly 20 large furniture markets (town government page, statistical year not stated; not all of Dongguan) | Same as above | |
| Jinjiang, Fujian · footwear and sportswear | Sports shoes, apparel, shoe materials, shoe machinery, sporting goods | Per a Jinjiang government report of April 4, 2025: Chendai town has 7,000+ shoe and supply firms and makes 1 billion+ pairs of sports shoes a year | ||
| Chenghai, Shantou · toys | Plastic toys, building blocks, designer toys, smart learning toys | 2025 Chenghai toy output over ¥50 billion, ~60,000 toy businesses (government reports); 2025 toy exports from all of Shantou ¥11.06 billion (statistical bulletin; not a Chenghai district figure) | Fair buyer registration | |
| Cixi, Ningbo · small appliances | Fans, heaters, kitchen and personal-care appliances, water purifiers | Figures to be rechecked, see below | China Cixi Home Appliance Expo (official site under review) | |
| Yongkang, Zhejiang · hardware | Power tools, hand tools, vacuum flasks, door locks | 2024: 1,009 industrial firms above designated size citywide, their sales output ¥104.13 billion (whole-city industry, not hardware only); 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 | 2024 wood processing output above designated size ¥59.42 billion (National Forestry and Grassland Administration); hanfu figures to be rechecked, see below | 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 | Figures to be rechecked, see below |
All amounts are in Chinese yuan (RMB), "+" is year-on-year growth. "Above designated size" means industrial firms with annual main-business revenue of ¥20 million or more. The source type is in brackets after each figure.
Figures to be rechecked (not a basis for sourcing decisions)
These figures were checked only against summaries or attachments; we have not yet checked the original tables ourselves. They only give a sense of scale:
| Cluster | Figure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Yiwu | 2025 market turnover ¥360.69 billion (+14.5%); 97,400 market traders; exports ¥730.69 billion (+24.1%), 82.0% under market procurement | Listed on the bulletin page; original to be rechecked |
| Shenzhen | 2024: 4,842 electronics manufacturers above designated size, output approximately ¥2.87 trillion | Yearbook basis, to be rechecked |
| Jinjiang | Jan–May 2026 sporting goods exports over ¥10 billion | No independent original found; the April 4, 2025 government report does not support this figure |
| Cixi | 2024 smart-appliance cluster output ¥93.28 billion (+7.6%); approximately 19.0 million household fans | Government page attachment to be rechecked |
| Caoxian | 2025: 2,822 hanfu firms, sales over ¥13 billion | Government-reposted reports; original report not obtained |
| Foshan | 2024: 678 furniture manufacturers above designated size, output ¥85.97 billion; 2025 furniture exports ¥18.93 billion (+1.1%) | Yearbook and bulletin attachment, to be rechecked |
Sources by item
| Item | Source |
|---|---|
| Yiwu | |
| Shenzhen (phone and computer output) | |
| Shenzhen (firms, output) | |
| Humen | |
| Houjie | |
| Jinjiang | |
| Chenghai | |
| Shantou toy exports | |
| Cixi | |
| Yongkang | |
| Caoxian wood processing | |
| Foshan |
The Caoxian hanfu figures come from government-reposted reports; the original report was not obtained.
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 table lists markets, fairs and service entry points run by different operators; listing them does not imply government endorsement. 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.
Check before you pay, and warning signs
- 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.
- Pressure to pay before agreeing on samples, specifications and acceptance terms, refusing a video factory tour, or pushing for full payment up front are warning signs.
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 was not obtained this time.
- Lecong and Houjie figures do not state a year.
- Some Yiwu, Shenzhen yearbook, Cixi and Foshan figures were checked only against summaries; original tables to be rechecked.
- The often-quoted "70% of the world's plastic toys come from Shantou" comes from an event report with no stated method; we do not use it.
- These clusters are not an official ranking. Fairs, chambers and government desks are different kinds of entry point; a government desk does not guarantee any supplier.
Sources for this letter
China Commodity City (chinagoods)
Yiwu Commerce Bureau: overseas buyer registration
China Hi-Tech Fair
Humen International Fashion Fair
Dongguan Commerce Bureau supplier matching
Dongguan International Famous Furniture Fair
Jinjiang Footwear Expo
Chenghai International Toys & Gifts Fair
Cixi foreign-trade one-stop platform
China Hardware Fair
Lecong Furniture City
Yiwu 2025 statistical bulletin
Shenzhen 2025 statistical bulletin
Shenzhen government gazette (yearbook basis, to be rechecked)
Humen town economy page
Jinjiang government report, April 4, 2025
Shantou Federation of Industry and Commerce report
Shantou 2025 statistical bulletin
Cixi government pages (attachments to be rechecked)
Yongkang 2024 statistical bulletin
National Forestry and Grassland Administration
Foshan statistics (attachment to be rechecked)
Wishing you good business,
The mouwise team
Checked 2026-10-26
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