On November 11 at Yiwu International Trade City, Huang Huicui, chair of Zhejiang's Sansanjie Lighting, told a Malian buyer that his long-favored dry-battery emergency light still costs just over 3 yuan apiece - a price she has held for nearly 20 years despite thin margins. She has sold the unassuming rectangular light to more than 20 African countries, with annual exports still around 10 million yuan, about 5% of her total.
Although rechargeable and energy-saving lamps now dominate China's market, the old dry-battery model remains in demand in some power-scarce African nations. Huang insists on keeping it stocked and unpriced-up, even covering over 10,000 yuan a month in shipping, saying she cannot bear to lose decades-long African customers built on trust. Yiwu's trade with Africa reached 135.96 billion yuan in the first three quarters, up about 30.2% year on year, with the city linked to over 230 countries and regions.
