YIWU, China, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- An increasing number of content creators from around the world are traveling to Yiwu to explore wholesale markets and host livestream shopping sessions, reflecting the city's growing role in cross-border e-commerce.
Backed by one of the world's most comprehensive small commodities supply chains, around-the-clock livestreaming infrastructure and steadily expanding foreign trade, Yiwu is providing creators from China and abroad with new opportunities to monetize content while helping merchants reach overseas consumers.
In July, leading influencers and international student creators from several countries independently launched livestream shopping activities across Yiwu International Trade City eight major markets, demonstrating a business model that is attracting growing participation.
Creators from Southeast Asia, Europe and the Middle East—including TikTok influencers with followings in the tens of millions, French niche creators and Indian cross-border content producers—have been visiting Yiwu's wholesale markets to produce short-form videos. Collectively, they reach an audience of more than 40 million followers, while bilingual content generated during these visits has attracted over 10 million views and contributed to a growing number of overseas sourcing inquiries.
Recent campaigns have also produced measurable commercial results. Indonesian livestream host Rami gained more than 80,000 followers within just over 10 days of launching content from the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center. A jewelry merchant featured in her livestreams reported additional revenue of RMB 20,000 to 30,000 per session. In another case, a Malaysian creator generated more than RMB 200,000 in sales during a single livestream featuring a silver jewelry store, prompting the merchant to pursue a longer-term collaboration.
The trend is also gaining traction among Chinese content creators. Over the past two months, more than 300 influencers from a wide range of content categories have independently visited Yiwu's eight major wholesale markets, touring over 1,370 source manufacturers and wholesale booths. Together, they produced 305 industry-focused videos that generated more than 128 million views and led to over 8,000 verified sourcing inquiries.
The content spans more than 20 of Yiwu's key manufacturing sectors, including AI-powered devices, collectible toys, beauty products, outdoor equipment, imported home furnishings, fashion accessories and toys.
Yiwu has also expanded its livestreaming ecosystem to better accommodate international audiences.
The Global Digital Trade Center has introduced a "Starlight Livestream" initiative, under which nearly 700 merchants extend their business hours into the early morning to align with peak online shopping hours in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia.
The arrangement allows overseas creators to broadcast in real time from wholesale markets while their target audiences are online. Supported by integrated dropshipping services, creators can promote products without maintaining inventory or operating warehouses, while merchants fulfill orders directly. Revenue is generated through commission-based partnerships, allowing both merchants and creators to scale up sales with relatively low upfront costs.
According to participating merchants, collaborations with overseas content creators have helped expand their international customer reach, enabling them to connect directly with overseas buyers through livestreaming without relying solely on overseas trade exhibitions. More than 87% of surveyed merchants said they are interested in establishing long-term partnerships with international creators.
The growth of creator-led cross-border commerce has been supported by Yiwu's strong foreign trade performance.
In the first half of 2026, the city's exports reached RMB 420.7 billion, up 17.3% year on year. Cross-border e-commerce transaction value exceeded RMB 100 billion for the first time in a six-month period, an increase of 11.25% from a year earlier. Yiwu's supply network spans 26 major product categories and more than 2.1 million product lines, enabling merchants to respond quickly to changing market demand.
Yiwu continues to expand its support services for content creators, including free livestreaming venues, multilingual AI-powered editing tools and integrated cross-border logistics solutions, making it easier for overseas creators to establish and operate livestream-based businesses.
The growing number of collaborations between creators and merchants suggests that the combination of localized digital content and Yiwu's manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem is becoming an increasingly important driver of cross-border e-commerce.
Rather than requiring significant upfront investment, creators can produce localized livestreams and short-form videos from Yiwu's wholesale markets while relying on the city's extensive supplier network and dropshipping capabilities. Merchants, in turn, gain greater exposure to overseas consumers and new business opportunities through creator partnerships.
As cross-border e-commerce continues to expand, Yiwu is positioning itself as a hub where manufacturers, merchants and content creators can collaborate within an integrated livestream commerce ecosystem, creating new opportunities for international trade.
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Global Creators Turn to Yiwu as Livestream Commerce Gains Momentum
