YIWU, Zhejiang - CCTV Finance reported that in the first five months of 2026, Yiwu's total export value reached 315.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9%, crossing the 300 billion yuan mark one month earlier than in 2025. May alone saw exports of 84.78 billion yuan in a single month.
A walk through the Yiwu International Trade City reveals the intensity of this trade: European buyers are stocking up on cooling appliances and summer gadgets, Latin American wholesalers are hoarding World Cup merchandise, and stall owners are shipping dozens of containers daily to over 230 countries.
The "anti-seasonal" ordering pattern has become a distinctive feature of Yiwu's foreign trade resilience. Christmas decorations are ordered in June, summer products in January, and World Cup merchandise a year in advance. This forward-ordering mechanism, enabled by Yiwu's unparalleled supply chain speed and flexibility, gives global buyers confidence to commit early and allows Yiwu manufacturers to plan production efficiently.
Yiwu Port, functioning as the "Sixth Port Area" of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, has become the primary export hub for small commodities, with some shipping companies now offering direct container pickup, loading, and bill of lading issuance in Yiwu, significantly improving logistics efficiency.
Source: CCTV Finance, Baijiahao, MOFCOM, 2026
