China Sourcing Reports
Baby Strollers & Carriers
China is among the world’s largest suppliers of baby strollers, car seats and carriers.
Suppliers offer a wide range of products with the majority of designs positioned as low-end or midrange. But the number of high-end models is increasing as more suppliers move up the value chain to gain better margins.
School Stationery
China’s more than 1,000 school stationery suppliers account for about 30 percent of global exports in the line. The supplier base, however, could shrink in coming months as the industry deals with higher production costs and thinning margins.
Stiff competition is prompting many companies to release high-value designs, even as they are trying to cut costs and enhance operating efficiency.
Toys & Games
China continues to be the world’s largest supplier of baby toys despite a series of high-profile recalls last year. Customs statistics show that during the first 10 months of 2007, total toy exports rose more than 20 percent to $7.1 billion. New product standards and tightened enforcement of existing regulations, however, are forcing the industry into a period of restructuring.
Gambling Supplies
China’s exports of gambling supplies are increasing steadily, as more suppliers shift to upscale products to avoid intense price competition in the low-end market.
Many new product releases are casino-grade models: ceramic poker chips, hardwood poker and blackjack tables, and automated card shufflers.
You too can profit from this expanding market:
Promotional Items
Despite the economic slowdown, promotional item suppliers expect their sales to increase between 10 to 20 percent in 2009. The US and Europe will remain key target markets, but suppliers will increase focus on emerging markets such as non-EU countries, South America and Russia.
To attract more buyers, companies are lowering minimum orders and shortening delivery time.
Sports Balls
The majority of China’s sports ball manufacturers plan to expand capacity in 2008 as exports continue to increase, topping US$596 million in 2007 and posting double-digit growth in both volume and value. The high demand for inflatable and solid-core balls is driven by buyers who have shifted sourcing from India, Pakistan and Thailand to the mainland.
Although many China suppliers will upgrade existing facilities or build new ones, they still face rising production costs. Labor shortages in coastal provinces and escalating raw material costs are the main factors behind markups on finished product prices.
