Editor's note: As the 2026 FIFA World Cup prepares to kick off, Yiwu, the global hub for commodities in East China's Zhejiang province, has been in World Cup mode for months. China News Service spoke to Wu Xiaoming, head of the Yiwu sporting goods association, about the transformation of "Made in Yiwu" products. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

In preparation for the World Cup, businesses in Yiwu have meticulously adjusted their product lines and production schedules to meet market demand. This year, in response to specific requests from overseas buyers, many suppliers are offering personalized products featuring specific colors, patterns and jersey numbers.

Many merchants have noted that this time the order cycle for World Cup-related products began much earlier than in previous tournaments. Some companies started building inventory as early as last summer, with most shipments completed before this year's Spring Festival in February.

As one of China's important gateways for the international commodity trade, Yiwu has gained extensive experience in foreign commerce and earned the reputation of being the "world's supermarket". Its competitiveness in global markets has been strengthened by a continuously improving multimodal logistics network that integrates postal services with sea, road, air and rail transport. Efficient trade routes have helped reduce both delivery times and logistics costs, a major advantage in global market competitiveness.

At the same time, "Made in Yiwu" benefits from a well-developed local supply chain. Raw materials, components and packaging materials are sourced locally, reducing both production time and costs.

Unlike traditional large-scale standardized manufacturing, Yiwu's economy is increasingly built around small and medium-sized enterprises with highly specialized divisions of labor and a vast range of product categories. Buyers can source footballs, jerseys, horns, flags, decorative items and many other products in a single market and consolidate shipments, further lowering procurement costs.

By participating in major international sporting events, Yiwu merchants have developed a mature business model around the sports event economy. They have built a loyal customer base and continue to gain recognition and visibility in international markets.

In recent years, Yiwu's sports goods industry has gradually shifted from competing primarily on price to competing on creativity and intellectual property — a challenging but necessary transition.

In the past, the Yiwu commodities market relied heavily on high-volume, low-margin sales, with low entry barriers leading to excessive competition. This model is not sustainable in the long term. Instead of focusing on short-term profits from individual transactions, businesses are increasingly aiming for enduring customer relationships and sustainable growth.

Today, "Made in Yiwu" is undergoing a transformation from labor-intensive manufacturing to technology-driven production. Businesses are embracing intelligent manufacturing, digitalization and greener development practices.

After years of growth and development, the "Made in Yiwu" label is increasingly combining "bringing in" and "going global" to fill market gaps and seize new opportunities. Its development path has evolved from contract manufacturing and low-cost production toward original design, licensed products and standards-setting. This transformation mirrors the broader upgrading of Chinese manufacturing as it moves from the lower end of global value chains toward higher-value segments.

With the advantages of a vast domestic market, a complete industrial ecosystem and strong policy support, China is gradually evolving from a passive participant in global value chains into a more active contributor to international standards. Over time, "Made in China" will become synonymous with high quality, high-tech and high value.