China-made solar fan hat sees soaring overseas demand

China

China-made solar fan hat sees soaring overseas demand

2025-07-08 17:41 Last Updated At：23:07

A solar-powered fan hat developed in east China's Yiwu has become a sensation in the global market, garnering more than nine million online views within 24 hours and accumulating over 500,000 overseas orders.

As temperatures climb across much of the world this summer, cooling products from China are seeing unprecedented demand on cross-border e-commerce platforms. Among them, a solar-powered fan hat produced in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, has emerged as a standout item.

The hat features a solar-powered design and has been refined through multiple iterations, especially around details like the fan blades. Several technologies have been patented, combining both practicality and safety. According to the manufacturer, orders have now been placed through August, with the product frequently sold out despite ongoing overtime shifts at the production site.

To meet market demand, the manufacturer plans to collaborate with industry peers while increasing investment in research and development, aiming to launch products with more advanced features and a greater variety of styles.

"We've also extended our capabilities by partnering with more industry peers to work on this together. In the past, we could only produce two to three thousand hats per day, but now our daily capacity has reached nearly 10,000 hats, a significant boost in efficiency. Looking ahead, we're committed to embracing ongoing changes, breaking out of traditional boundaries, and adapting to the evolving market. We're also actively expanding into the Southeast Asian market," said Jiang Yongtao, factory manager.

The growing popularity of the product is emblematic of a broader trend in China's manufacturing sector, namely, the rise of smaller-scale, highly innovative goods that gain traction globally through new media tools and flexible supply chains.

"I've been coming to China for nearly ten years. The products made here are of good quality, cost-effective, and I can always find something new each time I visit," said an Indian merchant.

Relying on a well-established industrial chain and a flexible supply chain system, Yiwu is rapidly transforming from the world's largest small commodity market into a global hub for creative products, accelerating its path toward branding and internationalization.

"Yiwu's trade network spans more than 230 countries and regions. Our merchants are deeply responsive to global consumer trends and product changes. We are actively promoting brand globalization and helping local businesses develop overseas channels," said Gong Chenghao, deputy general manager of Yiwu Mall Group.

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday launched the first phase of a new claims system that will allow importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Companies and their customs brokers can submit refund requests through CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal using a newly developed tool known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, starting Monday.

Once a claim is validated, CBP will recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment. The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, local media reported Monday.

Valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, CBP said, though more complex cases could take longer.

CBP is rolling out the refund process in phases. Court filings show that more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly 166 billion U.S. dollars.

The Supreme Court ruled in February that U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under IEEPA are unconstitutional. It is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over such taxes.

Following the ruling, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade directed CBP to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.