China's export of sporting goods showed remarkable growth momentum in the first half of this year, reflecting the country's upgraded manufacturing industry with a shift from simple manufacturing to innovative design and IP operation.
The exclusive designer and manufacturer of the mascot figurines of the just-concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup is a toy company located in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. Its World Cup products have reached more than 60 countries and regions worldwide.
Relying on self-developed integrated molding patents and green production across the entire chain, the Chinese company met the stringent quality inspection standards of international events.
In the recently released 2026 economic report for the first half of the year, foreign trade and high-end manufacturing showed outstanding performance, with the total import and export value of goods reaching 25.47 trillion yuan (about 3.76 trillion U.S. dollars), an increase of 16.9 percent year on year.
The sports goods sector in particular showed outstanding growth momentum. In the first half of this year, its exports reached 67.53 billion yuan (about 9.97 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for more than 40 percent of global exports.
"The traditional manufacturing is upgrading at a very rapid pace. A few years ago, we were talking about the 'new trio' in foreign trade. And in the last year or two, we've started talking about the new version of 'new trio.' This means that new growth drivers and traditional production capacity are actually developing in a very good synergy. Whether it's the countries participating in Belt and Road cooperation, the ASEAN market, or the Latin American market, our foreign trade imports and exports with these countries have generally maintained a growth rate of over 15 percent in the first half of the year," said He Huanlang, dean of the School of International Trade and Economics of Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.
"New trio" in foreign trade refers to electric vehicles, photovoltaic products and lithium-ion batteries, while robots, AI and innovative medicines have emerged as the new version of "new trio."
Booming sporting goods export reflects upgrading of China's manufacturing
