Global E-commerce Classroom

Where goods come from

Sourcing in China

Industrial belts, specialised markets and platforms that give the theory course a real business context.

21Industry and markets
18Ecommerce platforms

First visit

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Industry and markets Ecommerce platforms Teaching cases · 5

This section provides business context for the course. It is not a supplier recommendation, quotation or trading platform.

Industry and markets

Distinguish industrial belts, specialised markets, factories, traders, brands and online sourcing channels.

Industrial belt Geographic concentration of similar producers with supporting supply chains.
Specialised physical market A trading place with many booths and buyers; a booth may be a factory, trader or agent.
Factory The actual producer; capacity, credentials and MOQ must be verified.
Trader Organises supply, quotations and export documents, but may not own a factory.
Brand Owns brand, design and channels; production may be outsourced.
Online sourcing channel Enquiry, ordering and fulfilment through a platform or standalone site.
Trade fair A scheduled venue for concentrated display and negotiation.

Showing 21 of 21

Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair) Trade fair Venue photo
Guangdong · Guangzhou Catalogue record

Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair)

Founded in 1957 and held twice a year in Guangzhou, the Canton Fair is China's oldest and largest comprehensive trade fair. It is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Guangdong Provincial Government.

All categoriesComprehensive fair

Type
Trade fair
Main categories
All categories: electronics and home appliances, consumer goods, textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals and health products, building materials and home furnishings, etc.
Scale
138th session (Autumn 2025): exhibition area 1.55 million m², 74,600 booths, more than 32,000 exhibiting companies
View details SRC-045
Yiwu China Commodity City Specialised physical market Market photo
Zhejiang · Yiwu Profile verified

Yiwu China Commodity City

A professional wholesale market founded in 1982. Its trading volume has led China's professional markets for 35 consecutive years.

Small commoditiesGeneral merchandiseAccessories

Type
Specialised physical market
Main categories
26 major categories and 2.1 million SKUs: accessories, toys, household goods, hardware, bags and cases, etc.
Scale
Operating area about 8 million m², more than 80,000 booths (Yiwu Municipal Government 2025 figures)
View details SRC-024
Huaqiangbei electronics district Specialised physical market Market photo
Guangdong · Shenzhen Profile verified

Huaqiangbei electronics district

One of the world's densest electronics trading districts, covering components, devices and smart hardware.

Consumer electronicsElectronic componentsSmart hardware

Type
Specialised physical market
Main categories
Electronic components, digital products, drones, robots, smart hardware
Scale
The commercial area covers about 1.45 km² and is known as "China's No. 1 Electronics Street"
View details SRC-040
Dieshiqiao home textile market Specialised physical market City view (not the market itself)
Jiangsu · Nantong Profile verified

Dieshiqiao home textile market

China's largest home-textile market cluster, with more than half of the domestic market share.

Home textilesBeddingFabrics

Type
Specialised physical market
Main categories
Home textile bedding, fabrics, curtains, towels, etc.
Scale
Total market area over 1.5 million m², more than 15,000 shops, 2024 transaction volume exceeded RMB 150 billion
View details SRC-041
Lecong furniture market Specialised physical market City view (not the market itself)
Guangdong · Foshan Profile verified

Lecong furniture market

A ten-kilometre furniture wholesale belt in Shunde, Foshan, serving domestic and overseas buyers.

FurnitureHome furnishing

Type
Specialised physical market
Main categories
Residential furniture, office furniture, hotel furniture, soft furnishings
Scale
Shunde district government figures: shop area over 3 million m² and more than 3,400 dealers; operator figures: 4 million m² and more than 10,000 dealers (the two differ)
View details SRC-042
Chenghai toy industry belt Industrial belt City view (not the market itself)
Guangdong · Shantou Catalogue record

Chenghai toy industry belt

One of the world's most complete plastic-toy production clusters, with about one third of global capacity.

ToysBaby products

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Plastic toys, building blocks, remote-control toys, baby and child products
Scale
About 50% of China's plastic toy production capacity; annual output value over RMB 50 billion; products sold to more than 140 countries and regions
View details SRC-044
Changzhou solar PV cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Jiangsu · Changzhou Catalogue record

Changzhou solar PV cluster

One of China’s largest PV manufacturing clusters, covering wafers, cells, modules, inverters and storage, with Trina Solar headquartered here.

Solar PVEnergy storage

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
PV modules, solar cells, inverters, energy storage systems
Scale
The PV industry accounts for about one-tenth of the national total and covers all manufacturing stages except polysilicon feedstock; above-designated-size PV output value RMB 112.12 billion
View details SRC-047
Foshan ceramics cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Guangdong · Foshan Catalogue record

Foshan ceramics cluster

The world’s most complete ceramics supply chain, from tiles and sanitary ware to machinery and glazes.

CeramicsSanitary wareBuilding materials

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Architectural ceramics, sanitary ceramics, art ceramics, ceramic machinery, glazes and colorants
Scale
2024 above-designated-size ceramics output value in Chancheng RMB 15.616 billion; Foshan accounts for 80% of China's ceramic machinery and nearly 50% of its glazes and colorants
View details SRC-048
Yongkang hardware cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Zhejiang · Yongkang Catalogue record

Yongkang hardware cluster

China’s hardware capital, supplying power tools, doors, vacuum flasks and cookware to global buyers.

HardwareTools

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Power tools, hand tools, doors, drinkware, cookware
Scale
2024 above-designated-size industrial output value RMB 104.8 billion; a "world-class hardware industry cluster"
View details SRC-049
Keqiao textile cluster Specialised physical market Product photo
Zhejiang · Shaoxing Catalogue record

Keqiao textile cluster

Home to the China Textile City, one of the world’s largest fabric wholesale markets.

TextilesFabrics

Type
Specialised physical market
Main categories
Apparel fabrics, chemical fibers, printing and dyeing, home textile fabrics, trims
Scale
2024 China Textile City transaction volume RMB 400.987 billion; more than 8,000 textile enterprises and over 38,000 business operators; ranked first among comparable markets nationwide for 33 consecutive years
View details SRC-050
Jinjiang footwear cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Fujian · Jinjiang Catalogue record

Jinjiang footwear cluster

One of the world’s largest sportswear and footwear bases, producing about one fifth of global sports shoes.

Footwear & apparelSports shoes

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Sports shoes, casual shoes, shoe materials, textiles and apparel
Scale
2024 footwear and apparel output value exceeded RMB 250 billion; annual output of more than 1.2 billion pairs of sports shoes, about 20% of the global total; more than 7,000 shoe manufacturers and supporting enterprises
View details SRC-051
Guzhen lighting cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Guangdong · Zhongshan Catalogue record

Guzhen lighting cluster

China’s lighting capital, with a cluster spanning three cities and eleven towns.

LightingDecorative lighting

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
LED lighting, decorative lighting, light sources, smart lighting
Scale
Annual output value of the lighting cluster exceeds RMB 100 billion, covering 11 towns and sub-districts in three surrounding cities; China's largest specialized lighting production base
View details SRC-052
Shunde home appliance cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Guangdong · Foshan Catalogue record

Shunde home appliance cluster

China’s largest home-appliance manufacturing base, covering white goods and small appliances.

Home appliances

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, small household appliances
Scale
More than 3,000 home appliance and supporting enterprises in Shunde; Foshan's home appliance output value accounts for about 15% of the national total, and it produces 25% of the world's rice cookers and 48% of its microwave ovens
View details SRC-053
Baigou luggage cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Hebei · Baoding Catalogue record

Baigou luggage cluster

China’s luggage capital, exporting about one billion bags a year to over 200 markets.

Bags & luggage

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Luggage and bags, trolley cases, backpacks, leather goods
Scale
2024 operating revenue RMB 47.1 billion; more than 7,000 enterprises, annual output of 1 billion bags and cases, sold to 201 countries and regions
View details SRC-054
Xuchang hair products cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Henan · Xuchang Catalogue record

Xuchang hair products cluster

The world’s largest hair-product hub, making about six of every ten wigs sold globally.

Wigs & hair

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Craft hair, women's wigs, men's hairpieces, hair accessories
Scale
More than 4,000 enterprises and over 3,000 product types, accounting for more than 60% of the global market; 2024 hair product exports RMB 16.4 billion, sold to more than 120 countries
View details SRC-055
Humen apparel cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Guangdong · Dongguan Catalogue record

Humen apparel cluster

One of China’s best-known women’s and children’s wear clusters, with design, production and wholesale in one town.

Apparel

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Women's wear, children's wear, casual wear, fabrics and trims
Scale
2024 gross industrial output value of the apparel and accessories sector about RMB 43.8 billion; nearly 3,000 enterprises and more than 200,000 employees
View details SRC-056
Ruian auto parts cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Zhejiang · Wenzhou Catalogue record

Ruian auto parts cluster

A full-range auto and motorcycle parts base, covering 12 categories and thousands of product series.

Auto & motorcycle parts

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Auto parts, motorcycle parts, chassis, braking, automotive electronics
Scale
2024 auto and motorcycle parts industry output value RMB 80.926 billion; more than 6,000 auto parts enterprises; products sold to more than 150 countries and regions
View details SRC-057
Wenling pump cluster Industrial belt Product photo
Zhejiang · Taizhou Catalogue record

Wenling pump cluster

China’s largest pump production base, especially strong in small and submersible pumps for agriculture.

PumpsMotors

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Small water pumps, submersible pumps, motors, pressure washers
Scale
2024 pump and motor industry output value over RMB 70 billion; more than 3,700 enterprises; small water pump output accounts for 70% of China's total and 20% of the world's
View details SRC-059
Linyi wood-based panel cluster Industrial belt
Shandong · Linyi Catalogue record

Linyi wood-based panel cluster

China’s leading wood-based panel production and trading cluster, known as the “capital of panels”.

PanelsWood productsHome furnishing

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Engineered wood panels, plywood, MDF, wooden doors, custom home furnishings
Scale
2024: 1,539 above-designated-size wood enterprises with output value RMB 135.15 billion; total output value of the high-end panel and green smart home furnishing industry exceeded RMB 300 billion (Linyi Municipal Government)
View details SRC-060
Chaozhou ceramics cluster Industrial belt
Guangdong · Chaozhou Catalogue record

Chaozhou ceramics cluster

A major ceramics export base in south China, covering household, sanitary and art ceramics.

CeramicsSanitary ware

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Household ceramics, sanitary ceramics, art ceramics
Scale
2024 ceramic exports RMB 11.261 billion, up 21.0% year on year (Chaozhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics)
View details SRC-061
Huangyan plastic mould cluster Industrial belt
Zhejiang · Taizhou Catalogue record

Huangyan plastic mould cluster

A concentrated base for injection moulds and plastic products, supporting appliances, auto parts and daily goods.

PlasticsMoulds

Type
Industrial belt
Main categories
Plastic household goods, injection molds, plastic parts for automobiles and motorcycles, appliance housings
Scale
2024 above-designated-size industrial output value RMB 62.426 billion, of which molds RMB 10.12 billion and plastic products RMB 15.256 billion; injection molds account for more than 30% of the domestic market
View details SRC-063