Every businessman knows Yiwu, it is the world’s largest small commodity wholesale market. Nearly 80% of the world’s Christmas products are made in Yiwu. Yiwu Receives over 500,000 buyers from worldwide each year and hosts more than 140,000 foreign residents. You may find thousands of suppliers offering a wide range of products at very low prices in the Yiwu market.

In this ultimate guide, we’ll walk you through Yiwu Wholesale Market step-by-step so that you will get your purchasing a smooth and successful experience.

This Free Guide to the Yiwu market is pretty long and it will cost you a while for reading. If you have never been to China or do not have many experiences, please make sure you have read through the entire page.

Table of Contents

What is Yiwu? Where is Yiwu?

Yiwu, a county-level city in China, has the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities.

Yiwu is located in the central part of Zhejiang Province, very close to both Ningbo Port and Shanghai Port. It’s 280 kilometers away from Shanghai in the north, 150 kilometers away from Ningbo in the east, and 100 kilometers away from “Paradise City” Hangzhou in the north which is the capital of Zhejiang province. Yiwu is an international and diversified city and the world’s capital of small commodities. Every year, Yiwu attracts more than 550,000 buyers from all over the world.

 

 

How to Get to Yiwu?

Yiwu is a county-level city. Currently, there are no international flights to Yiwu directly. Importers usually go to Hangzhou, Shanghai, or Guangzhou first. Let’s check it out:

Hangzhou-Yiwu (100km/60mil)

Hangzhou is very close to Yiwu, and you may choose from high-speed rail, airport bus, or taxi to Yiwu. To take a high-speed rail is the most convenient way.

A 109-kilometer high-speed railway runs from Hangzhou to Yiwu. There are 89 high-speed trains and bullet trains between Hangzhou and Yiwu every day from 06:00 in the morning to 09:53 in the evening. The Duration is approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour, and the ticket prices range from $12 to $29. The fastest train G2365 has a top speed of 280 km/h and completes the journey in 32 minutes.

Shanghai-Yiwu (260km/160mil)

Flights are not available between Shanghai and Yiwu. The distance is 260 km (160 miles), and travel by Shanghai-Yiwu high-speed train is the best option. The journey takes 1.5-2.5 hours, and a second-class seat is 123 yuan. Shanghai Pudong Airport has direct buses to Yiwu, which take 4.5 hours and costs 180 yuan. There are also buses from Shanghai Intercity Bus Terminal or South Long-distance Bus Station to Yiwu; it takes 3.5-4 hours and costs about 100 yuan.

Guangzhou-Yiwu (1300 km/800mil)

The distance between Guangzhou and Yiwu is around 1,300km (800mil). The best and fastest way to travel from Guangzhou to Yiwu is to take a direct flight. It just takes 2 hours, and costs may be around CNY600-CNY1200 according to different flights and at different times.

Another way is to travel by bullet train to Yiwu. It takes around 6-7 hours for the whole journal and may cost around CNY675-CNY2200 depending on seat classes.

Notice that all these bullet trains originated from Guangzhou. Yiwu is just an intermediate stop with a 2-5 minutes stopover. You have to ready all of your luggage in advance and listen carefully to the broadcast to make sure you get off the train in time.

 

 

Yiwu Market Overview

 

Yiwu is a multicultural city. It is home to around 15,000 foreigners from over 100 countries and receives more than 550,000 importers overseas yearly. All these people mainly participate in the largest wholesale market in the world: Yiwu Wholesale Market.

In this market, over 75,000 booths display a large number of products you can find everything you can think of. Therefore, we say the Yiwu market is more like an exhibition than an exhibition. The only difference between Yiwu and other public exhibitions is that the Yiwu market is open all year round, except during China Spring Festival.

Suppliers in the Yiwu market are from all over China. They may have factories in Yiwu or other cities in China. It becomes easier for importers sourcing from the Yiwu market because all suppliers are gathering in this market to display their products; you could expect to buy high-quality products at a good price.

  • Yiwu market was founded in 1982
  • Covering an area of 5.5 million square meters
  • With more than 75,000 booths
  • Opening from 9 am to 5 pm every day
  • With over 210,000 people working in the market.
  • More than 210,000 people visit the market every day.
  • Products in the market are exported to over 219 countries.

 

Why Sourcing from Yiwu?

Yiwu market is the place to make your business dreams come true; it is a world-famous international trade market for small commodities. Yiwu products are exported to more than 219 countries.

Suppliers in the Yiwu market are very friendly to small buyers. If you want to buy stock products in small quantities, Yiwu is right the place.

Yiwu market is the one-stop solution for all products, the ideal place for importers to purchase daily necessities, kitchenware, hardware, luggage, toys, jewelry accessories, and other products.

Many people said Yiwu is only suitable for small businesses while other big cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou are more suitable for large orders. IT’S NOT TRUE! The truth is, the Yiwu market is also very ideal for big orders! If you want to combine hundreds of items into one shipment, the Yiwu market is right the place. Yiwu is the largest inland port in China; according to the Yiwu government website, over 400,000 standard containers are exported annually.

There are thousands of importers who ship hundreds of containers from Yiwu Market.

Also, the Yiwu market is ideal for one-dollar stores, wholesalers, supermarkets, and shop owners. This is the perfect place to source these items for importers with distribution channels, one-dollar stores or supermarkets, and stationery, gift, and toy stores.

 

The world’s largest wholesale market

Yiwu International Trade Market is the world’s largest wholesale market, covering an area of ​​more than 5.5 million square meters. It has over 75,000 booths and sells more than 1.8 million kinds of products. It is said that if you stay in every booth for three minutes, it will take you a year to walk over the whole market. Can you imagine how big it is? (Yiwu International Market Map Download)

Unlike the twice-yearly Canton Fair, Yiwu Market, except China Spring Festival, opens every day.

And, visiting a fair can be a hassle. You must register in advance, pass a security check, and find suppliers in a limited time. In comparison, it is much easier to visit the Yiwu market.

In addition to Yiwu International Trade Market, there are also many wholesale markets, such as Huangyuan Garment Market and International Production Materials Market.

 

Lower Price

Due to the well-organized Yiwu market, suppliers of the same category usually are concentrated together. Therefore, suppliers face fierce competition, and the prices are relatively low.

 

Small MOQ

Canton Fair and Yiwu Market are large trade shows showing various categories of products.

Suppliers at Canton Fair are usually very big manufacturers and large trading companies. They require very high MOQs, while suppliers in the Yiwu market require very low MOQs. Meanwhile, you can mix hundreds of items in one container.

You can buy as many different styles as you want and see what kind of products will sell well, but it’s hard to do so at Canton Fair.

If you want to do business online or open a supermarket, you can come to Yiwu to buy a variety of products and then combine them in one shipment.

 

Diverse and Ongoing Trade Shows

In addition to many wholesale markets, the government hosts many trade shows every year, where you can find actual manufacturers.

For example, the Yiwu International Commodity Fair is the third-largest trade fair in China after Canton Fair and East China Fair, known as the Mini Canton Fair.

 

 

What Products Can be Purchased in Yiwu?

Yiwu market sells a wide range of products, whatever you may think of, you could find in this huge market.

For example:

  • Fashion Accessories:  jewelry, jewelry accessories, wigs, phone cases, watches, glasses, etc.
  • For Children: toys, clothing, baby products, stationery, etc.
  • Party Products: tents,  balloons, disposable tableware, disposable bags, etc.
  • Household Products: curtains, pillows, mattresses, mops, buckets, etc.
  • Packaging Items: wrapping paper, gift boxes, wrapping tape, glue, baskets, etc.
  • Hardware Tools: hammers, pliers, ladders, nail guns, shovels, toolboxes, etc.

 

 

Best Time Visiting Yiwu

Yiwu Market is open all year round, including weekends, except for China New Year Holiday. Considering Yiwu’s exhibitions, weather, and other factors, the best time to visit Yiwu is from March to May and September to November.

If you’re here to buy Christmas products, you’d better come before July. If you come in September, you will find most factories no more accept new orders, and the delivery time is very rushed.

  • From March to May: Spring Canton Fair, East China Fair, Hong Kong Gift Fair, and Hong Kong International Jewelry Fair are all during this period
  • From September to November: the autumn Canton Fair and the Yiwu Fair are held in late November. The Autumn Hong Kong Electronics Fair and the Autumn Hong Kong International Lighting Fair were both during this period.

 

 

Guide to Yiwu International Trade Market (Futian Market)

 

Yiwu International Market Map Download Here 

Yiwu International Trade Market District 1

District 1 was built in October 2001 and officially put into operation on October 22, 2002. It covers 420 acres of land, with a construction area of 340,000 square meters and a total investment of 700 million yuan. There are more than 10,000 shops.

1F: Toys / Electric toys / Inflatable toys / Plush toys/ Artificial Flower / Flower accessories / Annex building (Toy/ornaments/craft)

2F: Jewelry & Ornament / Hair Ornament / Annex building (ornaments)

3F: Ornament Accessories / Porcelain & Crystal / Picture Frames / Crafts

4F: Factory Outlets (Toy/flower/ornament) / Taiwan Mall (flower/ornament/craft)

yiwu market district - moer sourcing
yiwu market DISTRICT - moer sourcing

Yiwu International Trade Market District 2

Market District 2 was opened on October 22, 2004. It covers an area of 483 acres, with a construction area of more than 600,000 square meters and with more than 8,000 shops.
The East auxiliary building is equipped with an industrial and commercial bureau, tax bureau, police station, bank, restaurant, logistics, post office, telecommunications, and other functions and service agencies. The market is equipped with commercial buildings, office buildings, four-star hotels and two squares in the east and west, and a sightseeing tour bus.

1F: Suitcases & Bags / Umbrella / Rain wear / Gift Bags

2F: Vehicles / Hardware Tools & Accessories / Locks / Electric Products

3F: Kitchen & Sanitary hardware / Small Home Appliances / Clocks & Watches / Guangdong Nanhai Mall / Battery/Lamp/Flash lights

4F: Anhui Mall / Hongkong Mall / Sichuan Mall / Korean Mall / Electronics / Suitcase & Bags / Clocks & Watches / Hardware & Electric Appliances

5F: Export agencies / Featured products

Yiwu International Trade Market District 3

The construction area of District 3 is 460,000 square meters. There are more than 6,000 of 14 square meters of standard shops from 1F to 3F. 600 of 80-100 square meters business shops on 4F to 5F. 650 of 50 square meters exhibition halls.

The 4F is a direct sales center for production enterprises, including stationery, sporting products, cosmetics, glasses, zippers, buttons, clothing accessories, and other industries. The market is equipped with central air conditioning, a network system, Internet TVs, a data center, and a fire safety monitoring center.

People and goods flow unimpeded in the market, cars can reach all floors. There are multiple ground parking areas and rooftop parking areas. Modern logistics, e-commerce, international trade, financial services, as well as accommodation, catering, entertainment, and other services are fully equipped.

1F: Glasses / Pen & Inks / Paper Articles

2F: Outdoor products / Office & Stationery / Cultural & Sports products

3F: Zipper & Button / Apparel accessories / Cosmetics & Beauty products

4F: Factory outlets-cosmetics/beauty / Factory outlets-cultural & sports
Factory outlets-apparel accessories

5F: Painting Industry/ Imported Commodity Mall

yiwu market DISTRICT - moer sourcing
yiwu market district - moer sourcing

Yiwu International Trade Market District 4

Market District 4 is a sixth-generation market of the Yiwu China Commodity Market. The market was opened on October 21, 2008, with a construction area of ​​1.08 million square meters and 16,000 shops.

The market has an elevated driveway, and various vehicles can go directly to each floor in the market. Market District 4 has abundant parking areas. In addition to the large underground parking area, there are also several surface parking areas and rooftop parking areas. The east and west parts of the market are with logistics, e-commerce, international trade, financial services, catering services, and other market supporting service facilities, as well as 4D cinema, tourism and shopping, and other characteristic commercial and entertainment services.

The market District 4 draws on the advanced design concepts of the current international large-scale commercial centers and integrates a number of high-tech products. It is equipped with central air conditioning, large electronic information screens, broadband network systems, LCD TV systems, and solar power generation.

Advanced high-tech hardware facilities such as rainwater collectors, automatic skylights, and parallel escalators are the commodity wholesale trading market with the highest technical content and the highest international level in China, and it is also a modern landmark building in the Yiwu market.

1F: Socks / Leggings

2F: Daily Necessities / Knitted Products / Gloves / Hats / Earmuffs

3F: Sewing Thread & Tape / Shoes / Lace / Tie / Towel

4F: Belt/Accessories / Scarf / Bra & Underwear

5F: Tourism & shopping center / Garments / Shoes / Daily necessities / Frame / accessories

Yiwu International Trade Market District 5

The market District 5 covers an area of 266.2 acres, with a construction area of 640,000 square meters and a total investment of 1.42 billion yuan. It is divided into five floors on the ground and two floors below the ground.

1F: Garments/Daily consumables / African Products / Jewelry & Handcrafts / Ornaments & Crafts / Food / Healthcare products

2F: Beddings / Chinese knot / DIY Handicraft

3F: Needle / Knitted cloth / Knitted fabric / Curtains cloth

4F: Auto Accessories / Car & Motorcycle Parts / Car necessities

5F: Online services

yiwu market district- - moer sourcing

How to Find Suppliers in Yiwu Wholesale Market

Before going to the Market, you have to ensure where the products you’re looking for are. Basically, the same types of products are located in the same area of the Market. If you know how to use yiwugo.com, it may help you find the right products very easily. If you do not know, don’t worry, we will talk about yiwugo.com below. Otherwise, there are guide maps everywhere in the Market that you could easily see; you may find where each product category is generally located.

As long as you have found and visited where your products are located, you could look around to other suppliers nearby, to see whether they have the same product or not. If they have, you could also compare the quality and price.

If you are unfamiliar with the Market, you could turn to a translator or sourcing agent like us for help. Our familiarity with this Market is GPS-like; we will quickly lead you to the products and suppliers you’re looking for.

 

 

How to Communicate with Suppliers in the Market?

Suppliers in the Yiwu market do not speak English, although some may understand a few English words, like: How much, Quantity, cheap, money, etc. When you find a product you want in some booths, you must show the supplier the product. And suppliers will show you the price on a calculator. Please notice that this is the product’s price, not including anything like shipping and it’s CNY price.

If you want to buy a small quantity in stock, for example, one or two cartons, you only need to pay cash to the supplier. The supplier will arrange for your goods to deliver to your hotel. By the way, you have to pay for the delivery charge.

And, if you want to make some changes to a product and customize it on your demands, you will need help from a translator or a sourcing agent like us to communicate with the supplier to avoid misunderstandings.

 

 

Yiwu Market Online

We recommend you yiwugo.com

This website is actually “Yiwu Market online.” It covers over 75,000 booths, 26 grand categories, and over 3.5 million products, including Yiwu International Market District 1 to District 5, Yiwu Huangyuan Garment Market, and Yiwu International Production Materials Market. It is an online wholesale website that integrates all suppliers in Yiwu and targets both domestic and overseas markets.

Yiwugo has functional sections such as products, market maps, business information, forums, and exhibition services. It also has a unique 3D and 360-degree real-life booth display, allowing people to immerse themselves in the Market.

On Yiwugo, you could easily find suppliers’ exact locations and addresses in Yiwu Market, contact information, etc.

 

 

Comparison between Yiwugo and Alibaba

There are essential differences between Yiwugo and other online platforms like Alibaba.

Yiwu Go is a unique wholesale website. It is affiliated with Zhejiang China Commodity City Group and is the official website of Yiwu Wholesale Market. Merchants who settled on this web all have physical booths in the Market. It relies on the physical Market and serves the physical Market and buyers. It binds 75,000 online and offline booths together to provide transaction guarantees for both buyers and suppliers.

But Platforms like Alibaba are designed to replace the entire traditional business model. At the same time, Yiwugo was established to provide e-commerce services for both suppliers in the Market and global buyers.

 

Other Wholesale Markets in Yiwu

Yiwu International Means of Production Market

Different from Yiwu International Trade Market (Futian Market), the international means of production market is mainly dominated by machinery and equipment, like industrial electrical equipment, power generation equipment, printing and packaging machinery, food processing machinery (hotel supplies), sewing equipment, injection molding machines, etc.
It is also the center of lighting products and leather raw materials.

Address: No. 1566 Xuefeng West Road (No. 1566 Xuefeng West Road)

 

Yiwu Huangyuan Clothing Market

Yiwu Huangyuan Clothing Market is located in the most prosperous place in Yiwu, the largest professional clothing market in Central Zhejiang, with a total market area of 420,000 square meters. It officially started business in 2011.

Categories: Jeans, Men’s Wears, Dresses, Sweaters, Pajamas, Children’s Wears, Sportswears, Wedding Dresses, Evening Dresses, Imported South Korean Garment

Address: Intersection of Middle Jiangbin Road and Huangyuan Road (intersection of Middle Jiangbin Road and Huangyuan Road)

 

Yiwu Furniture Market

It is the largest professional furniture market approved by the government in Yiwu.

Address: No. 1779 Xicheng Road (No. 1779 Xicheng Road)

 

Other Specialty Streets

Christmas Trees & Christmas Decorations No.601, Chouzhou North Road
Near No.882 Gongren North Rd.
Inventory Stock Products Wu’ai District, Meihu District
Jewelry & Accessories Changchun District, Xingzhong District
Scarves Futian 3 & 4 District
Bras & Underwear Chengxin 2 District
Furniture No.247 Chengzhong North Rd.
Lighters, Photo Frames, Oil Paintings Zhaozhai District
Zippers Binwang Zipper Street
Electromechanical Datangxia District 2

Selected Industrial Clusters Surrounding Yiwu

Hangzhou City

  • Fuyang: Hometown of Chinese Papermaking, China’s Racket Production Base
  • Xiaoshan: World’s Down and Feather Capital,  China’s Lace Hometown
  • Fenshui: China’s Pen-making Hometown
  • Yuhang: China’s Home Textile Production Base

Ningbo City

China’s Textile and Garment Industry Production Base, the Largest Injection Molding Machine Industry Production Base in Mainland China

  • Yuyao: Hometown of Plastics in China
  • Ninghai: China’s Mold Industry Base

Wenzhou City

China’s Lighting Production Base, China’s Shoes Capital

  • Longwan: China’s Hardware and Sanitary Ware Capital
  • Qiaotou: China’s Hometown of Zippers, China’s Button Capital
  • Lucheng: China’s Metal Shell Lighter Production Base
  • Rui’an: China’s Automobile and Motorcycle Parts Capital
  • Cangnan: Printing Base

Taizhou City

  • Huangyan: Hometown of Moulds in China, the Capital of Plastic Daily Necessities
  • Yuhuan: China Valve Capital, China Auto Parts Industry Base
  • Linhai: The Kingdom of Eyeglasses
  • Xianju: China’s Crafts Gift City

Jinhua City

  • Yiwu: China’s Famous City of Seamless Knitted Clothing, Zhejiang Socks Industry Brand Base, World’s Largest Wholesale Market of Small Commodities
  • Pujiang: Crystal Glass Capital of China
  • Yongkang: Hardware Capital of China

Shaoxing City

  • Shangyu: China’s Umbrella City
  • Shengzhou: China’s famous Tie City
  • Zhuji: International Socks Capital (the annual output of socks accounts for 70% of the country’s total and 30% of the world’s)
  • Keqiao: Asia’s Largest Textile City

Huzhou City

Home of Chinese Silk

  • Zhili: China’s Largest Production Base for Children’s Clothing

Which Market is the Best One in Yiwu to Source Products from?

Among so many wholesale markets in Yiwu, the International Trade Market (Futian Market) is still the best because it has complete variety and supporting facilities, and you can find almost all products you think of here.

 

 

Pros and Cons of Yiwu Wholesale Market

Pros

  •   All Day Opening

Yiwu Market opens at 9:00 in the morning and ends at around 5:00 in the afternoon. It means millions of products are on display throughout the day. So even if you visit there at noon, you can still find many options.

  •  High-Quality Products

Many people visit the Yiwu market for purchase every day; it is why so many people from far-away cities come to Yiwu to sell their products. No matter where they are produced, you can always find high-quality products in the Yiwu market. Some products are even handcrafted!

  • Easy to Find All Products You Need in a Short Time

  •  Easy to Make Products Customization

If you come across a sample you like and decide to buy the final product in large quantity; you could ask the supplier to customize it for you.

  •  Competitive Price for Big Order

At Yiwu Market, it is always very easy to buy goods in big quantities and get them at a competitive price.

  • Plenty of Suppliers

Since there are over 75,000 booths in the market, you may communicate with all suppliers face to face.

  • Fast Delivery

Once Production is completed, you can quickly ship them to your country. There are many shipping options that you can choose.

  • Goods Consolidation Easily in one Shipment

If you have purchased many products from different suppliers, we could help you to collect all these products together and to ship them in one Shipment.

 

Cons

  • Not All Suppliers are Factories

It has over 75,000 booths in the market, most of which are trading companies. Some are distributors; some may be individual businesses; some may be factories. It’s tough to distinguish between them.

  • Too Many Suppliers and Products can Cause Confusion.

Since there are so many products and suppliers in this vast market, you may get confused when choosing from products. It can be challenging to determine which suppliers are trustworthy and which are not.

  • Different Qualities

Different products come from different manufacturers; even the same product may come from different manufacturers. So qualities are much different.

  • Suppliers Do Not Speak English

As we mentioned before, most suppliers do not speak any English. Communication is a problem if you do not have help from a translator or sourcing agent.

  • Buyers Need to Make Payment, Consolidation, Goods Inspection, and Shipping by themselves if without the help of a sourcing agent.

How a Sourcing Agent Supports Your Purchasing and Shipping

The most important thing about doing business in Yiwu is to find a good sourcing agent. Sourcing in Yiwu can be difficult due to the large scale of the Yiwu market, poor language communication, quality control problems, etc.

Scale

Yiwu market is huge; it has positive and negative effects on business. The market has evolved over the past few decades. You can find almost any product you are looking for in this market. But a large market can make it very difficult for importers to navigate it. Especially new importers can get lost in the market on their first visit. In this case, you need better hire a local sourcing agent to help and accompany you to find goods in the market; like us, our people go to the market every day and are familiar with every corner of the Yiwu market.

Language

Most suppliers in the Yiwu market do not understand English and cannot communicate with foreign customers in English, which is a major limitation of doing business in Yiwu. The way to overcome this communication barrier is to hire a translator or sourcing agent.

Quality Control

Suppliers will start preparing goods when you have placed orders in the Yiwu market. When they have finished preparing the goods and sending them to the designated warehouse, you need to inspect all the products individually. Because the quality of those products might not be the same as the samples you see in the market, it is also necessary to confirm whether the quantity is the same as you have ordered. Whether any products are damaged or not.

Using a sourcing agent can help you to execute and simplify your sourcing activities.

 

Sourcing Agents Help Buyers

Market Assistance

Sourcing agents are the middlemen between importers and suppliers. We assist in negotiation between the two parties. We accompany you to visit the market, quickly find what buyers need, and discover new products in time.

Find Proper Suppliers

If there are no proper suppliers in the Yiwu market, we help buyers searching suppliers in other cities in China.

Assist Buyer in Order

We assist buyers to make orders if they want to order from the market but do not know how.

Arrange Samples

If you need samples from the market or want to make some adjustments on products from the market, you can tell suppliers the specific requirements through us. After the sample is completed, we will check the sample according to the customer’s requirements. If it meets the customer’s requirements, we will quickly arrange to express the sample to the customer.

Quality Inspection

After goods are delivered to the warehouse, we will inspect whether all products meet the customer’s requirements and whether there are defects and damages. If some of the products do not meet the buyer’s requirements, we will assist in returning them to suppliers.

Shipping Assistance

If a buyer has ordered goods from multiple suppliers in the market and wants to ship them together to the destination country, we will assist with shipping. Sourcing agents have extensive resources on freight and express companies and can offer better shipping prices.

Free Warehouse

Sourcing agents who have their own warehouses always provide free warehouse service, like us.

Other Assistance

Such as issuing invitations, booking transportation tickets, hotels, etc.

 

 

Yiwu Sourcing Agent Service Charge

You will find many advertisements for sourcing agent information in Yiwu Market. Some of them claim they charge less than 3% of commission, some even 1%, 0% !!! Do you think it is possible? How do they support running their companies with this low to 1% service charge? Let’s have an example, if you buy five cartons of ceramic mugs, let’s say it’s USD0.27 for each ceramic mug. Generally, there’re 48pcs of mugs in one carton box so the total value will be around USD65. They will finally get USD0.65 for sourcing commission if they charge 1%.

Let’s have another example. If you buy a full 40-foot container, generally, the total goods value for a 40HQ is around USD40,000.00, so they will get a USD400 of sourcing commission fee for a 40HQ. As they have ten containers each month, they receive USD4,000/month. And in Yiwu, a minimum salary of an employee a month is at least USD800, so a sourcing company with ten employees will cost at least USD8,000 for employees’ wages. Here comes a question, with this 1% sourcing service charge, how do they afford to pay employees’ salaries?

Sourcing companies always do a lot of work for buyers, such as finding products. They don’t make any products themselves. Many people choose to avoid both trading and sourcing companies, as this usually means 5-10% or even higher prices than factories. They have a lot of value, including being able to source hard-to-find products and ensuring higher quality standards.

Yes, an Honest,  Reliable, and Qualified sourcing agent will charge around 5% to 10% for their services. Choosing an agent with a meager commission will only get you in trouble.

 

 

How to Ship Products to Your Country

Yiwu is a city with a very developed logistics and transportation network. You could ship products to your country and region in many ways.

There are 4 Ways of transportation: Ocean Freight, Air Freight, International Express, and Rail Freight.

Ocean Freight 

 

Ocean freight is the first and most choice among all global freight transportations, the ocean freight volume accounts for over 80% of total international transportations.

  • Advantages of Ocean freight: large volume, low freight charge, almost all products can be shipped by ocean freight.
  • Disadvantages of ocean freight: It is greatly affected by climate and natural conditions, the sailing period is easy to be inaccurate, and the longest shipping time among all transportations.

Air Freight

 

Air freight is ideal for shipping urgent, high value, light weight and perishable products.

  • Advantages of air freight: Fast transportation, and lower risk.
  • Disadvantages of Air Freight: High Shipping Cost

International Express

Suitable for shipping samples and small but urgent orders.

  • Advantages: Fast arrival and good services
  • Disadvantages: High cost,  there are many restrictions on air freight.

Railway Transportation

Railway transportation is much slower than air transportation. For China-Europe Trains, the overall receipt timeliness is about 20-40 days while it just takes 7-20 days for air transportation and 3-7 days for international express.

Railway transportation is mainly to European countries, such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, etc., other countries are temporarily unable to transport by railway, especially North and South American countries.

  • Advantages: large volume, low cost, less affected by climate and natural conditions.
  • Disadvantages: slow timeliness, poor flexibility.

Ocean Freight 

 

Ocean freight is the first and most choice among all global freight transportations, the ocean freight volume accounts for over 80% of total international transportations.

  • Advantages of Ocean freight: large volume, low freight charge, almost all products can be shipped by ocean freight.
  • Disadvantages of ocean freight: It is greatly affected by climate and natural conditions, the sailing period is easy to be inaccurate, and the longest shipping time among all transportations.

Railway Transportation

Railway transportation is much slower than air transportation. For China-Europe Trains, the overall receipt timeliness is about 20-40 days while it just takes 7-20 days for air transportation and 3-7 days for international express.

Railway transportation is mainly to European countries, such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, etc., other countries are temporarily unable to transport by railway, especially North and South American countries.

  • Advantages: large volume, low cost, less affected by climate and natural conditions.
  • Disadvantages: slow timeliness, poor flexibility.

International Express

Suitable for shipping samples and small but urgent orders.

  • Advantages: Fast arrival and good services
  • Disadvantages: High cost,  there are many restrictions on air freight.

Air Freight

 

Air freight is ideal for shipping urgent, high value, light weight and perishable products.

  • Advantages of air freight: Fast transportation, and lower risk.
  • Disadvantages of Air Freight: High Shipping Cost

Suggestions on Sourcing from Yiwu 

Before you start a sourcing business, there are some tips you should keep in mind. The market is enormous, with over 75,000 booths and 5.5 million square meters. If you want to source in the Yiwu market, the following tips will make your sourcing easier.

Schedule in advance

Make sure you plan every aspect of your trip thoroughly and not just randomly decide you need to go to the market. Even if you’ve hired an agent, it’s a good idea to know the supplier beforehand. Generally, suppliers of the same product listings are in the same area, so you don’t need to roam the market to find similar suppliers. Visit Yiwugou’s official website to learn about suppliers.

Once you have selected some suppliers, ask them to confirm that products must be the same as samples you see in their booths. Commonly, the actual products you will receive are not the same as the samples you see; suppliers will not let you know about this.

To Take Pictures of All Products You May to be Interested in

If you come across a product that is precisely the item you’re looking for, make sure you have taken pictures, got this supplier’s business card, and taken notes. In this way, you could easily find this booth later. Even after a long time, you could still find the booth and show the supplier the pictures you took to update the newest cost.

Don’t Rush to Pay in Full.

You will need to negotiate a better price with suppliers, but once you agree on a good price, please do not rush to make full payment. You need to ensure that the supplier is trustable. Therefore, it is better to pay some deposits. Once the supplier delivers goods on the promise, then you could arrange the balance.

Focus on QUALITY

As we mentioned, the quality of each supplier’s products could be slightly different; it always happens. We have to make sure the quality of products must meet our requirements.

Some Necessary Knowledge about Yiwu Market is Required

Before considering taking a flight to Yiwu, you’d better know something about the Yiwu market, like China Holidays, Yiwu Weather…
To avoid some situations like arriving in Yiwu during China Spring Festival. And if you come to Yiwu during China National Holiday (Normally Oct.1-Oct.7), you will find only 2/3 booths are opening. The rest of the suppliers choose to spend their holiday rather than work.

Find a Reliable Sourcing Agent

If you’re first time in Yiwu, you’d better find a reliable person to introduce a good sourcing agent to serve you. If you do not know anybody, you can only google it to get as much information as possible about local sourcing agents. Some sourcing agents sure do something not good, like offering a higher price to you just because you do not understand Chinese. Nevertheless, you will still need a good sourcing agent to help you with the market, communication with suppliers, price bargains, and all subsequent services. With the help of a good and reliable sourcing agent, you need to focus on choosing the right products.

 

 

Recommended Trade Shows in Yiwu You Should Visit

Every importer must know the twice-yearly Canton Fair in Guangzhou, but the lesser-known is the Yiwu Fairs. Many Fairs, large or small, are held every year in Yiwu. The most famous and influential one is China Yiwu International Commodities Fair – what people call the “Yiwu Fair.

China Yiwu International Commodities Fair

China Yiwu International Commodities Fair (Yiwu Fair) is one of the largest daily commodity trade fairs in China, including daily necessities, small commodities, household items, consumer goods, etc.

Yiwu Fair has been held consecutively for 27 sessions since 1995. It is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the Zhejiang Government, and other relevant departments. It has become the most influential trade fair in China and the third largest exhibition sponsored by Government after Canton Fair and the Shanghai China Fair.

Some other Influential Fairs in Yiwu

  • China Yiwu International Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Expo / 2022.3.15-3.17
  • China Art And Frame Expo / 2022.3.20-3.22
  • China International Hardware And Electrical Appliances Trade Fair / 2022.4.20-4.22
  • China Yiwu International Trade Fair For Sewing & Automatic Garment Machinery / 2022.6.8-6.10
  • China Yiwu International Trade Fair for Digital Printing Technology & Application  / 2022.6.8-6.10
  • Yiwu Fair China Yiwu International Commodities Fair  / 2022.10.21-10.25
  • China Yiwu International Forest Products Fair  / 2022.11.1-11.4
  • China Yiwu Imported Commodities Fair  / 2022.11.13-11.15

To learn more about Fairs in Yiwu

Yiwu Hotels Recommendation

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

It is located in Yiwu World Trade Center, right near Yiwu International Market. About a 1-minute drive / 5-minute walk to the market.

YIWU MARRIOTT HOTEL

Located in the CBD of Yiwu, in front of the hotel is International Market. 3-4 minute walk to the market. The Futian wetland is nearby.

BEST WESTERN PREMIER HOTEL

Located centrally in International Trade Market, the hotel is connected to the International Trade Market.

WANDA REALM HOTEL

It is located in fashionable and prosperous Wanda Plaza, 7.5miles from Yiwu International Trade Market.

Frequently Asked Questions about Yiwu Market

  •   Are All Booths in Yiwu Market Factories?

No!

They might be trading companies, individual households, manufacturers’ agents, real factories, foreign companies, etc.

Some of them are trading companies, which have both advantages and disadvantages. The benefits are that trading companies always have a strong network of factory resources. Many of them have more products; they accept low quantities. Besides, they usually keep enough stock and can ship goods very soon. The not-good point is that the price is high, and controlling good qualities is challenging. Our sourcing agent could help you inspect goods’ qualities and control risks in this situation.

Some of them are individual households. They may be from nearby or far-away industrial clusters. For example, travel mugs from Yongkang, Toys from Shantou, Plush toys from Yangzhou, etc.

Some of them are agents of manufacturers from all over China, such as toys from Shantou, Guangdong;  Plastic products from Taizhou;  Shoes from Fujian; Labor protection products from Shandong, etc.

Some of them are real factories from all over China. They may have high MOQ and long delivery times.

Some of them are foreign companies. As we said before, Yiwu is home to over 140,000 foreign residents, they made their families in Yiwu, and their children are studying in Yiwu too. All of them have their own companies. Many of them have booths in Yiwu Market. They mainly serve clients from their own countries, for example, Lebanon, Isreal, Pakistan, India, and Turkey.

So in the Market, you do not know who they are? Whether they are real factories or individual households. Our advice is to focus on your needs and find suitable suppliers.

 

  • Are Products Quality Poor in Yiwu Market?

The conclusion is, NO!

The Yiwu market has a large part of cheap products exported to many developing countries. Meanwhile, many high-quality products are also exported to developed countries. The USA is always one of the leading importers of products from Yiwu.

Each country has different requirements for product qualities, and it cannot be generalized to say that the quality of Yiwu products is not good. By the way, the products in the Yiwu market are not all “Made in Yiwu” but “Sell in Yiwu.”

 

  • Are Products in Yiwu Market only suitable for small businesses?

Yiwu market is very friendly to small importers. Not only do suppliers accept small MOQ, but they also support some product adjustments. You can order from hundreds of suppliers and consolidate all your products in one shipment.

Due to the complete industrial chain in Yiwu, very competitive prices for big orders, quality can be controlled well, so the Yiwu market is also very suitable for big orders.

Tourist Attractions in and around Yiwu

Yiwu and its surrounding areas are rich in tourism resources, including the West Lake, Putuo Mountain, Qiandao Lake, Shuanglong Cave, Yaolin Wonderland, Yandang Mountain, Daciyan, and other national-level scenic spots, as well as Yiwu Shuanglin Temple, Long History River, Hengdian Film and Television City, etc.

WEST LAKE in Hangzhou

West Lake is known as the “paradise on earth” in the world. Legend has it that the West Lake was a heavenly jewel fallen to earth. It is one of Must-visit China Attractions. Marco Polo called it the most magnificent city in the world.
The West Lake is like a shining pearl inlaid on the vast land of China, reputed for beautiful scenery, a multitude of historical sites, brilliant cultural relics.

PUTUO MOUNTAIN in Zhoushan

Putuo Mountain, the abode of Guanyin (Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy) and one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, is a celebrated mountain in Zhoushan Archipelago. Putuoshan Guanyin Statue is always a holy site for the Buddhist followers.
With many cultural sites and natural scenery to admire, a growing number of tourists like to pay a visit to Putuoshan Mountain.

QIANDAO LAKE

Thousand Island Lake, also known as Qiandao Lake , is an artificial lake with 1078 islands of different sizes and diverse shapes dotted sparsely and densely. There is not only exquisite natural scenery, but also exciting boat activities, tasty milky white fish head soup and relaxing bike riding greenways, providing you with the most memorable and enjoyable vacation.

SHUANGLONG Cave

Situated close to the city of Jinhua, Shuanglong Cave (‘double dragon’ cave) is named after 2 spectacular stalactites that resemble dragon heads.
Formed around 100 million years ago, the entrance is flanked on both sides by stalactites that resemble dragon heads , hence the Chinese name for the cave came after that. Visitors must lie down on a boat to pass the narrow entrance.

YAOLIN FAIRLAND

Yaolin Fairyland is a vast limestone cave complex in Hangzhou, which, because of its wondrous landforms and magnificent rock formations enjoys the reputation of being one of China’s greatest caves. Within the cave lies a trove of amazing stalactites, stone pillars and stalagmites beyond counting. The beauty of the cave, coupled with fantastical colored lights, have transformed this hundreds of millions of years’ old natural masterpiece into an even greater work of art. When visitors enter the cave, they see a wondrous fairyland where the structures are the creations of elves or dwarfs.

HENGDIAN WORLD STUDIO

Hengdian World Studio is the world’s largest film & TV base with the greatest concentration of industry factors,  the largest film and TV tourism theme park cluster of China.
Since the construction of Guangzhou Street for shooting The Opium War in 1996, Hengdian World Studios has been built with more than twenty film & TV shooting bases (scenic spots) spanning thousands of years of history, including Qin Palace, Qingming Shanghe Tu, Ming and Qing Palatial Garden, Dream Valley, Dream Bund, Sunny Spring Valley, and New Yuanmingyuan Palace.

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