02 · Zhejiang coast
Yiwu
One market, five districts, more than 70,000 booths. Yiwu is where a small order becomes a catalogue: mixed cartons, small minimums and a price for almost anything that fits in a box.
What this belt makes
What you can source in Yiwu
Yiwu sits in the Zhejiang coast. You land at YIW and can be on a factory floor the same afternoon. This is what most buyers cover in 2–3 days.
Five districts, one afternoon of walking
The International Trade City is split into five districts, and each one is a category cluster: toys and flowers, hardware and luggage, stationery and cosmetics, socks and hosiery. You will not see all of it in a week. We start with two districts that match your product, take photographs and booth numbers, and build the shortlist from there.
The booth is a trading company
Almost every stall quotes a factory price and then orders from a factory you never meet. That is normal, and it is where quality drifts. We ask for the production address, check the business licence and, when the order is above US$5,000, drive out to the line before you pay a deposit.
Small orders, real logistics
Yiwu is built for mixed cartons. Twenty suppliers can fill one 40HQ, and a local consolidator will pack it into one bill of lading. Ningbo port is three hours by truck. We sort the paperwork, the shipping marks and the carton count before the container leaves the warehouse, not after.
Two days here, then Shanghai
High-speed trains run from Yiwu to Shanghai in about 1 hour 30, to Hangzhou in 40 minutes and to Guangzhou in 5.5 hours. Most buyers spend two days in the market, one day in the factory towns of Zhuji and Yongkang, then take the train to the port city or fly home from Hangzhou.
Before you book
Three things to settle first
When to come
The best months are March–June, September–December. Factories and sample rooms are fully stocked then, and the fair calendar is in full swing.
How long to stay
Most buyers give Yiwu 2–3 days. Add a day if you want factory visits outside the city.
How to arrive
Fly into YIW. We collect you and book the first meeting for the same afternoon.
Next stop
Add these to the same trip
Each of these cities is inside two hours of Yiwu. Most buyers add one of them to the same week.
Tell us the product. We will build the route.
Send your spec sheet and target price. We reply with a city list, a day rate and a route that fits your factory hours.