Business owners in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, are tailoring strategies to capture consumer demand during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Known as "the world's supermarket," China's Yiwu hosts the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities. At Wen Congjian's shop in Yiwu International Trade City, walls are lined with fan apparel in every color. Having traded through three previous World Cups, Wen says this year's surge has kept him busier than ever.
"I'm still very busy every day. Although some orders aren't large in volume, the customers are in a hurry. They always want air freight. They'd love to place an order today and have it shipped by air tomorrow," he said.
Even before the full roster of teams for this World Cup was finalized, Wen had already begun analyzing the qualification landscape and designing jerseys in advance for traditional powerhouses.
He created two to four design concepts for each country, striving for differentiation in color schemes, patterns, and collar details while catering to local aesthetic preferences. "Unlike the last World Cup, when we only produced men's apparel, this year we've expanded to women's and children's attire, as well as pet apparel. For the Egyptian team, we have incorporated elements such as pyramids, and for the Australian team, the kangaroo motifs," he said.
An even more critical step is intellectual property strategy. Wen already holds more than 50 design patents and 32 registered trademarks in China, and has filed for more than 40 design patents for fan apparel overseas. These patents not only protect his original designs but also serve as leverage in price negotiations.
Leveraging the reputation he has built over the years and his patent advantages, Wen has not only secured official fan apparel orders from teams such as Brazil and Argentina but has also received orders for over 10,000 pieces through official licensing alone.
Yiwu merchants tailor strategies to meet FIFA World Cup demand
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has called for accelerating efforts to advance breakthroughs in core technologies, accelerate the building of a modernized industrial system, and foster new drivers of economic growth during an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province from Thursday to Sunday.
During visits to the cities of Chengdu, Deyang and Mianyang, He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected equipment manufacturers and enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, learning about their technological innovation, foreign trade exports and project development. He also visited a land-port logistics hub to examine its operations.
He stressed the importance of leveraging the leading and driving role of major technological and engineering equipment and projects, advancing breakthroughs in key core technologies, achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, and better serving the country's major national strategies.
He also called for reinforcing the leading role of enterprises in technological innovation, promoting collaboration among industry, universities and research institutes as well as cooperation between state-owned and private enterprises, fostering competitive industrial clusters, accelerating digital and intelligent upgrading, developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, and speeding up the building of a modernized industrial system.
He urged further efforts to unlock the potential of foreign trade by leveraging the China-Europe Railway Express and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to support the development of inland areas as hubs of opening up and promote high-quality foreign trade growth.
He also emphasized balancing development and security, strengthening efforts to prevent and defuse risks in key sectors, and safeguarding local economic and financial stability.
He called on relevant authorities to carefully analyze common issues and practical difficulties faced by local governments and businesses, formulate targeted policy measures in a timely manner, and make every effort to sustain the country's economic recovery and growth.
Chinese vice premier urges speeding up efforts to build modernized industrial system
