With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Yiwu, known as the "world's supermarket," is capitalizing on the tournament-driven economy. Local merchants are ramping up orders and proactively tailoring their products for diverse international markets through design innovation and a renewed focus on intellectual property (IP) protection.
To meet surging demand, merchant Wen Congjian is gaining a competitive edge with precisely customized products. His newly designed catalog -- featuring expanded styles for a broader audience -- quickly attracted overseas buyers, who confirmed orders on the spot.
"After seeing the samples, the client was very satisfied and subsequently placed an order for 60,000 units. This marks our first World Cup-related order in June," said Wen.
However, it's not just about developing new products -- protection is also key. Since the start of the year, Wen has secured overseas patents for more than 40 fan apparel designs. Across Yiwu, businesses are preparing early by researching global markets, studying national customs and fan preferences, and creating personalized products, offering sleek, stylish accessories for European fans and vibrant, energetic designs for South American ones.
To efficiently reach international customers, many merchants are partnering with cross-border e-commerce platforms. These collaborations leverage big data analytics to track consumer demand, enabling swift adjustments to production and inventory. Meanwhile, companies are expanding capacity and streamlining operations to ensure timely delivery.
"We're currently rushing some foreign trade orders and trying to complete them ahead of schedule. Once the World Cup orders come in, we'll go all out to fulfill them. For caps, we can produce about 30,000 pieces per day, and for scarves, approximately 10,000 units daily," said Shang Yabing, business manager of Yiwu Wenersi Knitting Co., Ltd.
The development of logistics infrastructure is further boosting Yiwu's global reach. Upgrades to cross-border e-commerce logistics have shortened delivery times and reduced transportation costs, allowing products to reach overseas consumers faster and improving customer satisfaction.
"For air transport, the flight routes are quite convenient, and delivery can definitely be completed within two to three days," said Shang.
According to Yiwu Customs data, exports of sports equipment reached 5.86 billion yuan (about 822.77 million U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2025, up 16.8 percent year-on-year as merchants continue to expand their presence in international markets.
Yiwu gears up for World Cup demand with expanded, customized production
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, which killed hundreds overnight, did not fall within self-defense.
"Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction," Kallas said in a post on social media platform X.
She warned that the strikes risk further destabilizing the region, and that Israel's actions were putting the U.S.-Iran ceasefire under severe strain.
The United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday evening, less than two hours before a deadline set by Washington in the morning. Israel said it accepts the truce but will continue fighting in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Kallas noted that the ceasefire should be extended to Lebanon.
So far, the Israeli strikes on Wednesday across Lebanon had killed at least 303 people and injured 1,150 others, with densely populated neighborhoods in the capital of Beirut among the hardest hit, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Thursday.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Wednesday that Thursday would be observed as a national day of mourning for the victims and injured in Israeli attacks that targeted hundreds of civilians.
All public administrations, institutions and municipalities would close, national flags would be lowered to half-staff, and radio and television broadcasts would be adjusted to reflect the national mourning, according to the prime minister.
He said that he had remained in contact with Arab leaders and international officials to step up Lebanon's political and diplomatic efforts aimed at halting the Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, regional countries and international organizations have strongly condemned the deadly Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
During a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, Jordan's King Abdullah II underscored the need to halt Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the targeting of civilians.
The king also stressed the importance of stepping up international efforts to put an end to the aggression against Lebanon.
Pakistan, acting as a mediator in a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, also condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of international law and humanitarian principles.
Speaking by phone with the Lebanese president, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned Israel's ongoing aggression against Lebanon and expressed condolences over the loss of thousands of precious lives in the hostilities.
Russia also strongly condemns Israel's latest airstrikes on Lebanon, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
Zakharova noted that such aggressive actions threaten to derail the emerging negotiation process and increase the risk of a resumption of large-scale armed confrontation in the Middle East.
Zakharova said that Russia advocates for an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict zone and a return to the focus of political and diplomatic efforts, including ensuring the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Austria's foreign ministry on Thursday called on Israel to immediately stop its military operations against civilian targets and infrastructure in Lebanon.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said on Thursday that the Middle East ceasefire should include Lebanon at a news conference alongside his Syrian counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shibani in Ankara.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon do not fall within self-defense: EU foreign policy chief
