Provinces in China have strong ties to specific industries. If you are looking for a specific product type, finding out which part of China it’s usually produced in could save valuable planning time and resources.
An understanding of China’s manufacturing provinces could save time for those looking to import from China to New Zealand.
If you are looking for a specific product, finding out which part of China it’s produced could save valuable planning time and resources.
Once you’ve discovered the region where your products are manufactured, you can visit manufacturers and check the quality for yourself (or get in touch with a Sourcing Agency that does all the work for you!)
Here, we explore China's manufacturing districts and industries, from electronics, and clothing, to machinery and automobiles.
Buying wholesale furniture from China can be daunting, as getting samples sent from China to New Zealand can be time and cash-intensive. However, working with verified, reputable and experienced furniture manufacturers in China can give you access to an enormous breadth of experience and furniture options. More than 50,000 companies manufacture furniture in China, and 70% of furniture manufacturers and suppliers are based in Guangdong province.
We help companies source on-trend wholesale furniture like:
Visit our Furniture page to read more.
If you’ve ever considered how to get clothes made in China, look no further than Guangzhou, Guangdong. Guangzhou is a major clothing manufacturing district. In particular, they are renowned for their enormous clothing wholesale markets, which provide access to thousands of clothing manufacturers within the province. Clothing manufacturers in Guangzhou, China can manufacture wholesale or customised men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, accessories, and bags. Visit our Clothing Page to learn how to source high-quality clothing from Guangdong, China.
After a Guangzhou sourcing agent? Our Epic team in China is based in Guangdong! Get in touch for the professional sourcing services we provide.
Looking to buy electronics from China? 90% of the world's electronics come from Shenzhen, including electronic toys, televisions, air conditioning units, mobile phones and drones.
Pro tip: Shenzhen clothing manufacturers specialise in most textiles and materials such as cotton, wool, viscose, silk and polyester. So this is a fantastic spot for those looking to import clothing. A Shenzhen sourcing agent can help you negotiate the best deal and bridge the communication between you and your supplier.
China is the world’s largest producer of vehicles, manufacturing more than 21.5 million cars and 4.6 million commercial vehicles in 2021. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) produced 5.4 million vehicles. Of these, 1.2 million were part of the SAIC-Volkswagen joint venture. Top selling car brands manufactured in China include BYD, FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC Volkswagen, SAIC-GM, Changan, Geely, Dongfeng Nissan, GAC Toyota, FAW-Toyota, and Chery.
Shanghai is also the leading producer of plastics, semiconductors, ethylene, microcomputers and mobile phones. The largest steelmakers in China are also in Shanghai.
Fashion and garment production are also major industries in Shanghai. Between the 1950s and 1960s, Shanghai became China's textile industrial centre. This era birthed fashion trends, such as the “qipao”, the traditional Chinese dress in crepe or silk satin, that are still seen today.
Tip: Businesses which use sourcing agencies to find clothing manufacturers in China save up to 77% on their orders and experience shorter wait times. Businesses looking to find wholesale Shanghai clothing manufacturers can expand their product line through sourcing agents.
Laptops & Mobile phones: Chongqing is the world’s largest assembler of laptops. Chongqing produced 58 million laptops and 280 million mobile phones in 2016, accounting for 15% of China’s mobile phone production.
Natural resources & Chemical elements: Chongqing is also rich in natural resources, with large deposits of coal, natural gas, manganese and other minerals. Today, Chongqing is the largest producer of large iron and steel ports and one of the top-three aluminium product manufacturers. Chongqing is also an important base for factories producing consumer goods such as:
Chongqing is China’s third-largest automobile centre, after Shanghai and Hubei with an annual output of over 3 million vehicles in 2016. Chongqing also produced more than 8 million motorcycles in the same year.
Hubei province pioneers many of China’s modernistic industries. Wuhan, in particular, has become a prominent city for modern industry, commerce, culture and education in China.
Due to the presence of large steel and iron industry, Hubei produces a large amount the heavy machinery and equipment in China that specialises in:
Hubei also ranks second in China’s automotive industry after Shanghai. Shiyan, Xianfan and Wahun, all cities in Hubei, have collectively become a central national hub of the automotive industry in China. Dongfeng Motor Company is the second largest auto manufacturer in China, based in the capital of Hubei, Wuhan. Founded in 1969, Dongfeng Motor is the third largest company of China's “Big Four” state-owned car manufacturers.
The “big four” state-owned car manufacturers in China:
All roughly acquired $14.45 million in car sales in 2021.
Zhejiang Province is one of China's most important light industrial manufacturing sites. Products made in this province all have industrial clusters (E.G., The plastics industry produces plastic storage boxes, chairs and other plastic products). Knowing the industrial clusters helps you narrow your options when importing products from China.
Industrial clusters in Zhejiang province distribute in several cities, including Ningbo, Yiwu, Wenzhou, Taizhou, and Shaoxing. Every city has its kinds of products which are outlined below. This is useful for businesses looking to import raw materials, hardware, fabrics, garments, packaging and consumer-related products.
Trading companies in Ningbo specialise in the petrochemical, steel and iron industries as well as automobile manufacturing and ship-repair fields. The electronic industry produces new materials for the tech industry and biological medicine. Yuyao, a city in Ningbo is the “Plastic City of China”, mainly used for engineering plastics, plastic tubes and plastic mould.
Yiwu is the world's largest wholesale centre of goods like clothes, toys, accessories, furniture and electronic products. Yiwu is a huge fair with over 70,000 booths that produce accessories, Christmas decorations, hardware and many other consumer goods.
Yongkang is China’s hardware and door production capital. Specialising in several important industrial clusters like hardware, metal doors, automobile components, electronic tools and appliances.
Wenzhou is known for manufacturing shoes, not just for export but also for the domestic market. Women's, men's, and children's shoes are produced in factories of all scales. You can also source packaging materials like non-woven fabrics, shopping, food or clothing bags in Cangnan, a county-level city in Wenzhou. Longgang is a town of Cangnan, known as the "Capital of Packaging in China," where you can find all kinds of packaging-related items.
Taizhou mainly specialises in plastics and rubber industrial products. Plastic materials like PP, ABS, and PBC make furniture like plastic chairs. Plastic products like storage boxes and rubber products such as rubber gloves and coasters are also made in Taizhou.
Shaoxing is famous for its textile production, where you can find fabrics like knitted, spinning, cotton and polyester fabrics. You can also source textiles like bedding articles, curtains and carpets.
Zhuji, a city in Shaoxing, is the “Capital of Socks in China”. Numerous sock factories produce stockings, anklets, leggings and other kinds of socks for men, women and kids. Most umbrellas are manufactured in Shanyu, another city in Shaoxing. This is known as the “Capital of Umbrella in China”. Cool huh? The more you know.
Jiangsu's manufacturing industry peaked after the 1980's economic reforms. The six main development zones in the Jiangsu province are Changzhou, Nanjing, Nantong, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Yixing. The main manufacturing sectors are textiles and garments, machinery and equipment, metallurgy, and chemicals.
Major exports from Jiangsu include electronic and mechanical products such as
Jiangsu is an important IT manufacturing base in China. In 2019, Jiangsu’s digital economy reached four trillion yuan (around $600 billion U.S.). In 2020, the electronic information manufacturing sector income increased by over 6%, gaining 1.9 trillion yuan in assets. The software and information services sector reached a revenue of 774 billion yuan in 2020, an annual increase of around 6%.
In other words, Jiangsu is a massive tech-savvy manufacturing province. China's economic success continues to grow with Jiangsu's heavy machinery, high-tech and electronic industries.
Tianjin is a manufacturing base for some of the world's leading tech, telecommunications and automobile companies, such as Motorola, Toyota and Samsung. Other major industries include high-tech, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. Tianjin has four major industrial parks and development zones:
This zone specialises in manufacturing for major automotive companies mentioned above. TEDA also specialises in manufacturing and developing telecommunications and pharmaceutical products.
The industries in this area include auto parts, chemicals and machinery manufacturing.
This zone’s industries include information technology, manufacturing and green energy. This area hosts R&D technology manufacturing sites that develop technology and electronic advancements such as batteries, motor and electronic control systems for battery electric, full hybrid vehicles and robotics & 5G internet
Prominent industries in this area include metallurgy and machinery. Tianjin’s port is near Beijing, making it an excellent transport and shipping hub.
Beijing’s located close to the cities of Hubei and Tianjin. Tianjin is known for producing robotics and technology manufacturing and production. Tianjin plans to invest 2 trillion yuan between 2021-2025 in high-tech manufacturing. This is beneficial for Beijing as the high-tech industry is the main generator of Beijing’s industrial growth. China’s high-tech production and development investment will boost manufacturing to 25% of China’s economy in 2025 from 21.8% in 2020.
The top ten manufacturers in Beijing specialise in:
View this article to read more about each manufacturer and their specialisation.
Beijing’s located close to the cities of Hubei and Tianjin. Tianjin is known for producing robotics and technology manufacturing and production. The focal point of high-tech industries continues to accelerate Beijing’s industrial growth. Tianjin plans to invest 2 trillion yuan between 2021-2025 in high-tech manufacturing. It is also estimated that China’s investment, production and development will help boost manufacturing to 25% of China’s economy in 2025 from 21.8% in 2020.
Liaoning is a significant region for heavy industries and raw materials. In 2016, the heavy-manufacturing industry accounted for 84% of Liaoning’s industrial output. Liaoning produces raw materials, such as smelting and pressing metals, that make most of China’s cement, cradle oil and electricity.
Other heavy-manufacturing industries of Liaoning include
‘Lighter’ industries in Liaoning include:
Working with international manufacturers can be a daunting task. While nothing can replace the benefits of local knowledge, understanding China’s many provinces, cities, and districts can save precious time and money when planning your sourcing and manufacturing journey. While not a steadfast rule, knowing which areas throughout China are renowned for your products has several benefits, including quicker verification, established trade routes and minimised material or fabric supply issues. Please get in touch today if you’d like to know more about a specific industry.
