Yiwu market is the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities, located in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, about 1 hour 40 minutes by high-speed train from Shanghai. It is open almost all year, and lets importers buy thousands of different low-cost products in small quantities from more than 75,000 booths, making it ideal for gift shops, bazaars, e-commerce sellers and anyone testing new products.
Key takeaways
- Yiwu International Trade City (Futian Market) has five main districts and more than 75,000 booths over several million square metres.
- The Global Digital Trade Center, opened in October 2025, adds a new generation market focused on jewellery, trendy toys and smart products.
- The market is open most days from around 9:00 to 17:00, and closes for several weeks around Chinese New Year.
- MOQs for stock goods often start at one carton; custom branding usually requires 500 to 2,000 pieces.
- Most buyers use a Yiwu agent to consolidate goods from many booths into one container.
- Goods leave via Ningbo port by sea or via the Yiwu to Europe rail service.
What is Yiwu market and who is it for?
Yiwu turned itself into a trade city over four decades. Its main market, Yiwu International Trade City, gathers manufacturers' showrooms and trading companies selling everyday consumer goods at wholesale prices. When the market reopened after Chinese New Year on 28 February 2026, about 80,000 shops welcomed buyers across nine market areas, including Districts 1 to 5 and the Global Digital Trade Center.
Yiwu is a good fit if you:
- run a gift, party, discount or souvenir shop;
- sell many small SKUs online and want to test products before larger orders;
- need seasonal items (Christmas, Halloween, Easter) in mixed quantities;
- want to see and touch products before ordering.
It is less suited to technical or heavily customised products. For those, a manufacturer met at the Canton Fair is often better; see our Canton Fair vs Yiwu market comparison.
What does each Yiwu district sell?
Each district is a building complex with several floors. Product allocation can shift over time, so treat this table as a guide and check the floor plans on arrival.
| District | Main products |
|---|
| District 1 | Jewellery, hair accessories, artificial flowers, toys, cosmetics accessories |
| District 2 | Bags and luggage, umbrellas, hardware, tools, locks, electrical items, watches and clocks |
| District 3 | Stationery, office supplies, sporting goods, glasses, cosmetics, buttons and zippers |
| District 4 | Socks, gloves, scarves, hats, belts, underwear, shoes, textiles |
| District 5 | Imported goods, bedding and home textiles, car accessories, pet products, knitting materials |
| Global Digital Trade Center | Fashion jewellery, creative and trendy toys, smart equipment |
Several published guides list slightly different allocations, especially for Districts 2 and 3, so confirm with your agent or the market's information desk. Beyond the main trade city, Yiwu also has specialised markets for clothing (Huangyuan), furniture, production materials and a large number of specialised streets.
How do you get to Yiwu?
| From | Mode | Typical journey time |
|---|
| Shanghai Hongqiao | High-speed train | About 1 h 40 min to 2 h |
| Shanghai Pudong Airport | Car or train via Hongqiao | About 2.5 to 3 h |
| Hangzhou East | High-speed train | About 30-40 min |
| Guangzhou | Domestic flight to Yiwu | About 2 h |
| Guangzhou South | High-speed train | About 6-8 h |
Most European buyers fly into Shanghai, then take the train. Book train tickets with your passport via the official 12306 app or a travel app such as Trip.com. Inside Yiwu, taxis and DiDi are cheap, and driving between the farthest markets takes about 20 minutes.
When is the best time to visit?
The market works year-round, but timing still matters. March to June is calm and good for negotiating. Late summer is busy with Christmas and Halloween buyers, so arrive by July or August if you sell seasonal products for Europe. Avoid the weeks around Chinese New Year, when most shops close, and the first week of October (Golden Week), when many owners take holidays. Weekday mornings are the most productive, as many shopkeepers start packing up by mid-afternoon.
How do you buy in Yiwu, step by step?
- Prepare a buying list with product photos, target prices, quantities and any packaging needs.
- Choose an agent before you go, or at least a translator for the first day.
- Walk your target districts and photograph each booth number, product and price card.
- Ask each shop for unit price, carton quantity, MOQ, stock availability and lead time.
- Place orders by signing a simple order sheet with item number, quantity, price and delivery date. A small deposit, often 20 to 30 percent, is common.
- Let goods be delivered to your agent's warehouse, where they are checked and labelled.
- Consolidate and ship once all items arrive, usually in one container or a shared LCL shipment.
Shops typically quote in RMB and include a price for delivery to a Yiwu address. Prices are lower for full cartons, so always ask about carton quantity.
What MOQs and lead times should you expect?
| Order type | Typical MOQ | Typical lead time |
|---|
| Stock items | One carton, often 12-144 pieces | 3-14 days |
| Logo printing or custom packaging | 500-2,000 pieces | 30-45 days |
| OEM or custom production | 1,000-5,000 pieces | 30-60 days |
Booth staff may present themselves as the factory; many are traders. That is not a problem for stock goods, but for custom products, ask for the factory address and a test report. For more on supplier checks, read how to verify a Chinese supplier and avoid scams.
How do you pay Yiwu suppliers?
Small shops usually expect RMB payments. Common options:
- Through your agent: you transfer euros or dollars to the agent's company account, and the agent pays each shop in RMB. Simple, but choose a reputable, registered agent.
- Bank transfer to the supplier's company account for larger orders.
- Alipay or WeChat Pay for small samples, within the limits applied to foreign cards.
Avoid paying large sums in cash and never pay personal accounts that do not match the company name. Our guide to paying Chinese suppliers safely explains the trade-offs.
How do you ship from Yiwu to Europe?
Yiwu is an inland city with its own customs facilities. The main options:
- Sea freight via Ningbo: goods are trucked from Yiwu to Ningbo, one of the world's busiest container ports. Transit to North European ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg or Le Havre usually takes about 30 to 45 days port to port, depending on routing.
- Rail freight: Yiwu runs regular China-Europe freight trains, including to Madrid and other European hubs. Transit commonly takes 18 to 25 days, between sea and air.
- Air or express: for samples and urgent goods, via Shanghai or Hangzhou airports.
Remember that since 1 July 2026, the EU charges a flat 3 euro customs duty per item on low-value postal consignments under 150 euros, which matters if you ship small parcels directly to end customers. For B2B container shipments, standard duties and import VAT apply. See EU customs clearance for China imports.
How Cina helps
Cina helps you prepare a Yiwu trip without hiring a full-service consultant. The supplier directory lets you research Yiwu-based suppliers and alternative manufacturers before you go, and the sourcing agent directory and guides in Cina resources help you compare agents and their fees. The warehouses in China directory lists consolidation options, and the freight forwarders directory helps you get quotes for sea or rail shipments from Yiwu and Ningbo.
Conclusion
Yiwu is the most practical place in China to buy a wide range of small consumer goods in low quantities, any time of year. Know which district sells what, prepare a clear buying list, work with a reliable agent for consolidation and plan shipping via Ningbo or rail. Combined with a Canton Fair visit, it gives European importers both variety and depth of supply.
