As World Cup boosts merch demand, China’s small-goods capital Yiwu stays wary
China sees a spike in orders from across the globe for footy-themed flags, scarves and wristbands but overall economic outlook is still weak
In Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city long known as the world’s largest hub for small commodities, exporters of fan merchandise and sporting accessories are reporting an early surge in overseas orders.
World Cup fan merchandise maker and exporter Miji, who declined to give his full name, has been busy since the second half of 2025, producing national flags, scarves, horns and wristbands for markets including Mexico, Ecuador, Italy, the United States and Argentina.
“Overall, orders are up by about 20 per cent compared to [the last World Cup in] 2022,” he said.
This year’s World Cup, scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, will be the first tournament jointly hosted by three countries – the United States, Mexico and Canada – and the first to expand to 48 teams, up from 32 in Qatar in 2022.
The change will stretch the competition to 104 matches over 40 days, significantly lengthening fan engagement and sustaining commercial momentum for suppliers and exporters.
According to data from Yiwu Customs, exports of sports goods and equipment from Yiwu jumped by 18.3 per cent year on year in the first eight months of 2025, totalling 7.89 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion).
The city’s shipments of those items to the three World Cup host countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico – reached 2.15 billion yuan, marking a 10.1 per cent increase over the same period.