Zhejiang’s industrial chain plays a crucial role in trade, forming a well-established upstream and downstream ecosystem. Firstly, Zhejiang has a strong manufacturing base covering a wide range of industries such as textiles, machinery, electronics and chemicals, which ensures the diversity and high quality of products.
Second, strong supply chain management capabilities enable companies to respond quickly to market demand and maintain efficient operations from raw material procurement to production to export of final products.
In addition, Zhejiang’s well-developed logistics and transportation network facilitates the rapid distribution of goods and reduces transaction costs.
Zhejiang, like other provinces in China, does not produce the same products in every city. You may have heard of some of these cities in Zhejiang Province, such as Hangzhou, Ningbo, Yiwu, Wenzhou, Taizhou and Shaoxing. Each city has developed products that have their own strengths, which I will detail below.
Hangzhou
As the capital city of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou is the most developed city in the entire Zhejiang Province in terms of electronics and information technology. The concentration of cross-border e-commerce and IT service companies, represented by Alibaba, promotes the manufacturing and R&D of electronic products.
Textiles and Clothing:
Xiaoshan and Yuhang Districts: these two districts are well known for textile and garment manufacturing, especially in the production of silk and high-grade garments in the world civilization. Products here focus on quality, such as Hangzhou silk scarves, silk bed sheets and quilt covers.
Machinery Manufacturing:
Yuhang District: the region is home to several machinery manufacturing companies specializing in the production of precision machinery and automation equipment.Examples include automated production line equipment (e.g. assembly lines and conveyor belts), precision machine tools (e.g. CNC lathes and milling machines), and industrial robots (e.g. welding robots and handling robots).
Home Appliances:
Xiaoshan District: several household appliance brands and manufacturers are concentrated here, mainly manufacturing kitchen appliances and cleaning appliances.Such as multi-functional rice cookers, cordless handheld vacuum cleaners, smart microwave ovens
Plastic and chemical products:
Jiande City and Chun’an County: these two counties are home to a number of plastics and chemical products manufacturers, producing a wide range of daily-use chemicals and plastic products. Such as plastic packaging materials, daily-use chemicals, PVC pipes and PE pipes
Furniture Manufacturing:
Lin’an District: there are several furniture manufacturing plants in the area, specializing in the design and production of home and office furniture. Such as fabric sofas and leather sofas, solid wood dining tables and chairs, modern bookcases and display cabinets, etc.
It is worth noting that Hangzhou’s tea has a pivotal position in China and also occupies an important position in the international market, especially famous for Xihu Longjing Tea (green tea), which is favored by domestic and foreign consumers because of its unique fragrance and sweetness. Tea from Hangzhou is mainly exported to Europe, America, Southeast Asia and Japan, and many enterprises focus on product quality and exquisite packaging to meet the demands of the international market.
In addition, Hangzhou’s rich tea culture attracts a large number of tourists, promoting the spread of tea as a cultural product. The development of e-commerce has also allowed Hangzhou’s tea to expand into the international market through online platforms, making it easy for overseas consumers to purchase.
Ningbo
As an important trading city in China, Ningbo’s foreign trade activities have a significant impact on the national scale. According to the latest data, Ningbo Port is the world’s 10th largest container port, with an annual cargo throughput of more than 800 million tons and a container throughput reaching more than 20 million TEU.
Ningbo’s export products are diverse, covering machinery manufacturing (e.g. industrial robots, precision machine tools, automated production line equipment), electrical and electronics (e.g. switching power supplies, LED lighting fixtures, power tools), household appliances (e.g. air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines)
In Ningbo, one important county-level city is Cixi, which is the main area for the production of household appliances. There are about 10,000 household appliance factories in Cixi, which is one of the most important electrical appliance clusters in China, with major markets including the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
In 2023, the total value of Ningbo’s foreign trade exceeds RMB 600 billion, of which exports take up a significant share. With the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, Ningbo is actively expanding its international markets, promoting the internationalization of local enterprises and further strengthening its position in the global trade network.
Wenzhou
In 2023, the total value of Wenzhou’s annual foreign trade import and export reached nearly 700 billion RMB, of which exports accounted for most of the value, mainly focusing on industries such as light industry, machinery manufacturing and household goods. Among them, light industry exports accounted for about 40% of total exports, and machinery manufacturing exports accounted for about 20%.
Wenzhou’s footwear, bags, electronics and electrical appliances and other export products are popular in the international market, especially in Europe, America and Southeast Asia. The cities of Yueqing and Ruian, as major industrial agglomerations, drive Wenzhou’s competitiveness in the global supply chain.
Wenzhou’s main export industry chain covers the following areas:
Light Industry
Including footwear, bags, leather goods, plastic products, etc. It is mainly concentrated in downtown Wenzhou, Yueqing City and Rui’an City, especially in Yueqing’s footwear aggregation area and Rui’an’s bag production base.
Machinery Manufacturing
Including power tools, motorcycles and machinery parts. Mainly concentrated in downtown Wenzhou and Ouhai District, with a number of enterprises specializing in the production of power tools and motorcycles.
Home furnishings
Including furniture, home decorations, daily-use ceramics, etc., the export value of home furnishings grows year by year, reaching billions of RMB. It is mainly concentrated in Cangnan County and Wenzhou city.
Clothing and textiles
The main products include casual clothing, underwear, knitwear, clothing and textile exports accounted for 15% of Wenzhou’s foreign trade exports. Mainly concentrated in Wenzhou city and Lucheng District.
Electrical appliances and lighting equipment
The main products include lighting fixtures, switches and sockets, wires and cables, etc. The export value of this industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, and is expected to reach RMB 4 billion per year. It is mainly concentrated in Yueqing City, which is famous for its electrical equipment industry.
Yiwu
In 2023, the total annual import and export value of Yiwu reached about RMB 800 billion, of which the export value exceeded RMB 600 billion, continuing to maintain its position as the capital of small commodities.
Yiwu’s small commodities market, especially toys, stationery and household goods, has become a major export product, with total exports accounting for more than 60% of Yiwu’s exports, especially in Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia. 3C electronic products and textile and apparel have also taken up an important share, reaching about RMB 20 billion and RMB 40 billion, respectively. For more detailed information about Yiwu’s advantageous products, please read “China Yiwu Wholesale Markets Guide”.
As a major trading platform, Yiwu and its International Trade City have promoted trade facilitation in this region, attracted a large number of domestic and international buyers, and further consolidated Yiwu’s important position in the global supply chain.
Yiwu’s developed cross-border logistics is one of the major advantages of Yiwu trade, there are thousands of purchasing agent service operating companies in Yiwu, they specialize in helping foreign buyers to find procurement and transportation of a variety of different small commodities, so the category of small commodities and daily necessities in Yiwu has been rapid development.
Similar toys, stationery, home furnishings, handicrafts, casual clothing, underwear, clothing accessories, cell phone accessories, lighting equipment, household small electrical appliances, plastic packaging, cosmetics, toys, pens, notebooks, office tools, fake flowers, etc., where the quality of daily necessities is stable, a variety of styles, daily necessities of the procurement needs of the friends can go to Yiwu to look for business opportunities, do not have time to go to the same time you can also look for a professional purchasing Agent.
Yongkang
Yongkang is known as the hardware capital of China, and as you can imagine its hardware industry occupies an important position in the global market. As a major production base for hardware tools and equipment, many international famous brands choose to source or OEM in Yongkang, making it an important supply chain node in the global hardware market. It should be noted that Yongkang is mostly a factory, which gives it an absolute advantage in terms of price, but at the same time, there will be certain requirements in terms of the starting order quantity.
In terms of hardware tools, Yongkang has a wide range of hand tools and power tools, including wrenches, hammers, drills, chainsaws, cutters, hammers, picks, drills, lawn mowers, chainsaws, locking products, security gates, anti-theft gates, electric cars, ATVs, thermos flasks, kitchen utensils, electric scooters, electric bicycles, LED lights for electric balance bikes, and so on. Overall, Yongkang’s hardware industry chain covers a wide range of product categories, demonstrating its important position in the global market and potential for sustained development.
Taizhou
Located in the north of Wenzhou City, Taizhou is an important manufacturing base on the southeast coast of China. With a strong industrial base and a rich industrial chain, Taizhou has become a leader in a number of industries, especially in the fields of automotive parts and components, machinery manufacturing and motorcycles.
Taizhou’s key export products include auto parts, motorcycles, machinery and equipment, and household goods. For auto parts, Taizhou’s products cover key components such as engines, transmission systems and suspension systems, which are exported to Europe, the United States and Southeast Asian markets, demonstrating strong manufacturing strength. The motorcycle industry is Taizhou’s traditional strength, producing motorcycles that not only sell well domestically, but are also exported overseas, making it an important player in the international market. In terms of machinery and equipment, products such as power tools and agricultural machinery made in Taizhou are well received for their stable performance and innovative design.
In addition, Taizhou’s household goods industry has also gained a foothold in the international market, mainly including kitchen utensils and bathroom accessories, which have won consumers’ trust due to their unique design and practicality. Through continuous innovation and optimization, Taizhou’s manufacturing industry has enhanced the added value of its products and strengthened its competitiveness in the global market, making it one of the key representatives of Made in China.
Shaoxing
As a textile town in China, Shaoxing’s key export products mainly include textile fabrics, garments, home textile products and chemical fiber products. For textile fabrics, Shaoxing is known for its high-grade polyester, cotton fabrics and silk, which are widely used in apparel, home furnishing and industrial applications. In terms of garment production, Shaoxing’s apparel manufacturers are able to respond quickly to market demand and provide customized services, with strong competitiveness especially in the casual and fashion apparel sectors. Home textile products such as bedding and curtains are favored by the international market in terms of design and quality.
In addition, Shaoxing’s chemical fiber industry is also growing, mainly including polyester fiber and nylon, which are widely used in textiles and nonwovens.
The textile cluster is mainly concentrated in a town called Keqiao, where you can find all kinds of fabrics: knitted fabrics, spun fabrics, cotton fabrics, polyester fabrics and so on. You can also source other textiles in Keqiao, such as bedding, curtains and carpets.
Zhuji City is an important county-level city in the western part of Shaoxing City, and is known as the “Socks Capital of China”. There are many hosiery factories here, producing a wide range of socks, including men’s socks, women’s socks, children’s socks, stockings, hosiery sets, and bottoms.
Quzhou
Quzhou is economically backward in Zhejiang Province, but Quzhou relies on some industrial advantages to promote the development of related manufacturing industries, and some of its factories have become trusted suppliers for domestic and foreign customers.
The chemical industry is an important part of Quzhou’s manufacturing. Quzhou’s chemical products cover fine chemicals, synthetic resins, coatings and fertilizers. Quzhou is known for its high-quality chemicals, with particular strengths in the production of pesticides and pharmaceutical intermediates. As environmental regulations become stricter, Quzhou’s chemical companies are actively transforming themselves towards greening and sustainable development, and are committed to researching and developing environmentally friendly chemical products to meet the international market’s high demands for environmental protection and safety.
The air compressor industry is also Quzhou’s strength. Air compressors produced in Quzhou are widely used in manufacturing, construction and mining industries, and are recognized by the market for their high performance and stability. Quzhou’s air compressor products cover a wide range of screw, piston and centrifugal types, which are suitable for different industrial needs.
Mining machinery is another important export sector for Quzhou manufacturing. The city’s mining machinery products include crushers, screening machines and conveying equipment, which are widely used in the mining, construction and stone processing industries. Quzhou’s mining machinery has won the trust of domestic and international customers for its high durability and outstanding performance. With the continuous development of global mining and infrastructure construction, Quzhou’s mining machinery industry is gradually expanding into international markets, especially in developing countries where demand continues to grow.