1. Yiwu's Big Boom in Orders

"If you want to know who the World Cup champion is, just look at which country's flags are printed the most in Yiwu." Although this is a joke, it also reflects the strong power of China's manufacturing connecting with the world.

Yiwu accounts for nearly 70% of the production of World Cup - related products globally. National flags and football jerseys from Yiwu are sold to stands all over the world. Essentially, it is also a kind of support vote cast by fans with their purchasing power. In other words, the shipment volume of Yiwu factories itself represents the most straightforward public enthusiasm, and thus the "Yiwu Index" comes into being.

And with the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico approaching, this "world supermarket" has begun to show its magic again. Data from Yiwu Customs shows that in the first quarter of 2026, before the whistle was even blown on the World Cup fields, Yiwu's export value of sports goods and equipment had reached 2.85 billion yuan, a year - on - year increase of 12%.

What's more exaggerated is that many Yiwu manufacturers actually experienced a sales boom several months ago. A foreign trade merchant of football jerseys in Yiwu has received a large number of World Cup - related orders since October 2025, and some enterprises even began to design football jerseys at the beginning of 2025.

This wave of orders also pushed up the index of sports and entertainment products in Yiwu from the end of 2025. Data shows that in 2025, the export value of Yiwu's sports goods and equipment exceeded 10 billion yuan, reaching 11.65 billion yuan, setting a historical record.

2. Standing Firm

In fact, the hot cross - border orders in Yiwu are not exclusive to the World Cup. Whenever there are various international sports events and overseas traditional festivals, local merchants will experience continuous order explosions.

For example, from January to early February 2024, when the Paris Olympics were still in the preparation stage, Yiwu's export volume to France increased significantly, with the export value exceeding 500 million yuan within two months, a year - on - year increase of 42%. A seller in the sports goods category sold as many as two or three hundred thousand trophies and medals alone.

In the chaotic cross - border market, with the continuous restructuring of the global industrial chain, Yiwu can still stand firm, relying on the complete industrial cluster that is difficult to replicate elsewhere and the flexible production capacity to quickly undertake global hot - spot orders.

This supply chain advantage is invincible overseas. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, French government spokesman Olivier Véran frankly said that the French manufacturing industry simply could not complete the delivery of 2 million mascot dolls within a few months; but for Yiwu factories, such large - quantity and short - delivery - time urgent orders have long been routine operations.

However, Yiwu has not stopped at the supply chain advantage. At present, with the wave of brand transformation in the cross - border industry surging forward, Yiwu merchants who used to rely on low prices and large quantities to seize the market now also begin to actively cultivate patents and create premiums.

One signal is that in the past, what sold best in Yiwu were horns for a few yuan and football jerseys for more than ten yuan. This year, brand sellers with regular IPs have stood out. For example, Juxing Power, which has obtained the IP authorization of multiple national teams and has a store hanging the sign of "Official Authorized Store of World Cup Giants", has seen its GMV in this World Cup increase by more than five times compared with the last one.

All in all, a complete and mature industrial chain and efficient and flexible production capacity enable Yiwu to always accurately capture global event business opportunities. Nowadays, as local sellers actively layout IP authorization and original patents, break away from low - price competition, and upgrade from simple supply to value output, this "world supermarket" is continuously showing the new competitiveness of China's manufacturing to the world with its manufacturing strength and brand thinking.

Seller's Home Review

Under the economic effect of the World Cup, Yiwu sellers should seize the dividend period of the event, give priority to stocking seasonal goods such as flags of popular countries and souvenirs, and at the same time pay attention to adjusting the inventory rhythm according to the schedule nodes of the event. It is recommended to plan cross - border logistics and compliance certification in advance to avoid performance risks caused by a surge in orders.

Source: E - commerce Pai
Original link: https://www.pai.com.cn/p/01kv7xzp37rb8t9jr6be9ny6dy