China's exports rose sharply in April, supported by its booming trade with more than 150 other countries and regions. In Yiwu, a major foreign trade city in east China's Zhejiang Province, businesses say the global customer base has provided resilience in times of uncertainty brought about by the tariff abuse of the U.S. administration.
It's mind-blowing just how many stores fill the Yiwu International Trade Market, the world's largest wholesale hub for small commodities. Someone has calculated that spending three minutes in each stall would take more than a year to visit the entire market.
It's best known for wholesaling low-price commodities such as accessories, hats and toys, the kind of stuff the U.S. badly needs from Chinese imports.
In light of the trade war, Christmas goods veteran Jiang Jiangping said that his company is weathering the storm peacefully.
"Here at the Yiwu small commodities market, in the Christmas category, we serve customers worldwide. The impact on us from the U.S. tariff hikes this time is minimal," Jiang said.
"I've been busy greeting many customers, including those from India, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, and Europe," he said.
China has been laying the groundwork for this future. One example is the freight train line that connects Yiwu all the way to London. But at the heart of it all is Yiwu's unbeatable price.
In addition, built on the strength of the unmatched supply chain, e-commerce is also thriving in Yiwu. Some newcomers to the city have built a successful business by selling to clients they reach through social media.
"When an order goes viral, we will get a lot of inquiries. These are all orders. 1,200 unread messages," said Xiaolu, a TikTok cross-border seller and also the organizer of Yiwu Cross-Border Study Tour as she showcased her phone.
Now, Xiaolu's team is organizing tours for others seeking new opportunities in a challenging economy.
"My confidence is rooted in Chinese manufacturing, its reputation and quality, and the vast overseas market. Just think about how big that market is. It's big enough for me and my business to weather economic cycles, to have stability, to have scalability, as long as I build a good team and we put in the work to fulfill every order, serve every client well and handle every request properly. I believe our business will only become more solid and sustainable," she said.
China's trade city Yiwu finds resilience in global customer base
