The Secrets of Zhejiang's Foreign Trade During the Christmas Season: When "Made in China" Meets the Global Holiday Economy

As winter approaches, the Christmas atmosphere grows stronger worldwide. In Zhejiang Province, located on China's southeastern coast, a Christmas-related "foreign trade feast" has already begun. From the brightly lit Christmas decoration production lines in Yiwu to the bustling container ships at Ningbo Port, Zhejiang's foreign trade enterprises are leveraging their keen grasp of the global holiday economy to send "Made in China" Christmas goods to all corners of the world, writing a unique and vibrant chapter in foreign trade.

The Map of "Made in Zhejiang" in the Christmas Economy

Zhejiang, especially Yiwu, is known as the "world's Christmas goods factory." Statistics show that approximately 60% of the world's Christmas decorations come from Zhejiang. Enterprises here often begin preparing for the next Christmas season after the Spring Festival—designing new styles, procuring raw materials, and arranging production. By summer, containers filled with Christmas trees, lights, ornaments, and Santa Claus costumes begin to be shipped to Europe, North America, South America, and various parts of Asia.

This "six-month advance" pace vividly reflects the precise connection between Zhejiang's foreign trade enterprises and the global market. A manager of an Yiwu-based foreign trade company stated, "Our clients need to complete their purchases before August to ensure the goods are on the shelves before October. We need to act even earlier to seize this golden window."

Innovation-Driven: From "Manufacturing" to "Intelligent Manufacturing" of Christmas Gifts

Today, Zhejiang's Christmas foreign trade is no longer simply about exporting low-priced goods. Many companies have increased added value through product innovation, design upgrades, and cultural integration.

In Wenzhou, a company combined LED technology with traditional Christmas lights to develop a series of intelligent colored lights that are 80% energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan, quickly opening up high-end markets in Europe and America. In Taizhou, environmentally friendly and biodegradable Christmas tree decorations have become a new favorite in the European market, reflecting the trend of green consumption. Furthermore, Zhejiang's cross-border e-commerce companies use big data analysis to predict the color preferences and design styles of consumers in different countries, achieving precise supply tailored to each country.

These innovations not only improve product competitiveness but also allow Zhejiang's Christmas products to climb higher in the global value chain. According to data from Hangzhou Customs, Zhejiang Province's Christmas supplies exports increased by 23% year-on-year from January to October this year, with a significant increase in the proportion of high value-added products.