As the "World's Supermarket," Yiwu supplies 80% of the world's Christmas products. In 2026, geopolitical risks have caused the export season to end significantly earlier than in previous years, with many merchants reporting that shipments to South America and North America are already complete by September.
Merchants at the Yiwu International Trade City Christmas products zone said that in previous years, September and October were still peak shipping months, but this year only Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and South Korea still have outstanding orders.
The shift is driven by longer shipping times and rising freight costs caused by geopolitical conflicts. Shipping to South America that previously took one and a half months now requires two months or more. Merchants said customers are pressing for earlier shipments to ensure goods arrive in time for the Christmas selling season.
Yiwu Baolong Packaging Technology reported that Christmas orders started arriving in February this year, compared to the usual June, with delivery requirements moved up to May from the typical mid-July. The company has added equipment to accelerate production and compress timelines.
Yiwu customs data shows that Christmas product exports in the first seven months reached 3.6 billion RMB, up 24.6% year on year, with the fourth quarter expected to transition to small-batch replenishment only.
Source: China Blue News / Zhejiang TV
