Yiwu market, officially Yiwu International Trade City, is the largest wholesale market for small goods in China and one of the easiest places to buy many different products in small quantities. This guide explains what the market is, what you can buy there, when to go and how to get there, how buying in Yiwu works, the risks to watch for, and how to ship your goods from Yiwu to your country.
Key points
• Yiwu International Trade City has nearly 80,000 booths and more than 2.1 million types of goods, mainly small consumer goods.
• It suits buyers who need many different products in small quantities: shops, wholesalers, online sellers and Amazon sellers testing products.
• Many booths sell from about one carton per item. Custom logos and packaging need larger quantities.
• The market is in Zhejiang province, about 1 hour 40 minutes from Shanghai and 30–40 minutes from Hangzhou by high-speed train.
• Goods from Yiwu usually leave China through Ningbo port, or can be combined with orders from other parts of China.
What Is Yiwu Market?
Yiwu is a city in Zhejiang province in eastern China, built around trade in small goods. Its main market, Yiwu International Trade City, is a group of huge buildings divided into districts, each with thousands of booths run by factories and trading companies. According to China Daily, the market has nearly 80,000 booths offering more than 2.1 million types of goods, and Yiwu’s foreign trade reached a record 836.5 billion yuan in 2025.
Most booths are showrooms. They display samples, take orders and arrange production or stock from their own factory or warehouse. You do not take the goods away from the booth: you order, the supplier delivers to a warehouse, and the goods are shipped from there.
What You Can Buy in Yiwu Market
Each district of the market focuses on different product groups. Typical categories include:
- Jewellery, hair accessories and fashion accessories
- Toys, party supplies and stationery
- Crafts, artificial flowers, Christmas and festival decorations
- Socks, scarves, gloves, bags and luggage
- Household goods, kitchenware and storage
- Small hardware, tools, electrical accessories and phone accessories
Booths move between districts and floors over time, so guides online often disagree on exactly what is where. Pick up the current floor guide at the market, or ask your agent to check which areas fit your product list before you visit.
Yiwu is less suited to products that need your own design, moulds or strict technical standards, such as electronics with certification, furniture or machinery. For those, buying directly from a factory is usually better.
When to Go: Opening Hours, Holidays and the Yiwu Fair
- Opening hours: the main market is usually open from about 9:00 to 17:00. Some booths close on Sundays, and many start to close in the late afternoon, so plan most visits for weekday mornings.
- Chinese New Year: the market closes for the Spring Festival holiday, usually in January or February, and many suppliers slow down for weeks before and after it. Place orders well before, or plan for delays.
- Other public holidays: around the National Day holiday in early October, many booths close for several days.
- The Yiwu Fair: the China Yiwu International Commodities Fair is held every year in October at the Yiwu International Expo Center. The 2026 fair ran from 21 to 24 October.
How to Get to Yiwu
| From | How | Time (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai (Hongqiao station) | High-speed train to Yiwu | 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Shanghai Pudong airport | Train or car | 2.5 hours |
| Hangzhou (Hangzhou East station) | High-speed train to Yiwu | 30–40 minutes |
| Other Chinese cities | Domestic flight to Yiwu airport, or high-speed train | Depends on the route |
Most international buyers fly into Shanghai or Hangzhou and take the train. Book a hotel near the market, because traffic around it is heavy at opening and closing time.
How Buying in Yiwu Works
- Find suppliers. Walk the districts for your products, or ask an agent to shortlist booths before your visit. Take a business card and photos at every booth you like.
- Ask for prices and the minimum order. Many stock items are sold by the carton. For a custom logo or your own packaging, the minimum is usually much higher.
- Record every product. Note the booth number, item number, price, carton quantity, carton size and ready date. Without this, it is easy to mix up suppliers later.
- Place the order and pay a deposit. Booths often ask for a deposit when you order and the balance before the goods are delivered. Get a written order or receipt with the item numbers and prices.
- Collect the goods in one place. Each supplier delivers to a warehouse, where the goods are checked, counted and packed for export.
- Ship. Once everything has arrived, the goods are loaded and exported as one shipment.
Prices in Yiwu are usually quoted at the booth, without transport, export or freight. Ask what is included and compare like with like; see Incoterms 2020 explained for the terms used in quotes.
Yiwu Market vs 1688, Alibaba and Factories
| Yiwu market | 1688 / Alibaba | Factory direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| See and touch products | Yes, at the booth | No, photos and samples only | Yes, with a factory visit |
| Minimum order | Often low, per carton | Varies widely | Usually higher |
| Product range | Very wide in one place | Very wide online | Narrow |
| Customisation | Simple: logo, packaging, colours | Depends on the supplier | Full |
| Best for | Mixed small goods, testing products | Researching prices, single items | Your own product, large or repeat orders |
Many buyers combine them: research online, buy mixed small goods in Yiwu, and order their main products from factories. See Yiwu market or a factory for a closer comparison.
Risks When Buying in Yiwu, and How to Reduce Them
- The same product in many booths. Several booths may sell the same item from the same or different factories, at different quality. Compare samples from more than one booth.
- Bulk goods different from the sample. Keep the approved sample or clear photos, and check the goods before they ship. See quality control and inspection.
- Late delivery. A single late supplier holds up the whole shipment. Confirm ready dates in writing and follow up before they are due.
- Wrong cartons or marks. Ask each supplier to mark cartons with your name or order number, so every carton is matched to the right order.
- Restricted goods. Products with batteries, magnets, liquids or powders need extra documents. Check before you order; see shipping batteries from China.
- Trademarks and safety rules. Branded or character goods without a licence can be seized at customs, and toys, cosmetics and electrical items must meet the rules in your country.
Shipping from Yiwu
Goods bought in Yiwu are collected at a warehouse, counted and packed, then shipped by sea, air or express. Two common routes:
- Direct from Yiwu: the goods are loaded in Yiwu and exported through Ningbo, the nearest main port, as LCL or a full container.
- Combined with other orders: if you also buy from suppliers in Guangdong or South China, the Yiwu goods can be trucked south and shipped together with them as one consignment. See China consolidation services.
Mixed orders from many booths add up quickly. Work out the total volume with our guide to how to calculate CBM, and see LCL vs FCL to decide between a shared and a full container. If you sell on Amazon, see Amazon FBA shipping.
Shipping Options from Yiwu
| Option | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LCL via Ningbo | Mixed orders of about 2–13 CBM | Consolidated in Yiwu or Ningbo; weekly services to main ports |
| Full container via Ningbo | Larger mixed orders | Loaded in Yiwu and trucked to Ningbo port |
| Combined with South China orders | Buyers who also buy in Guangdong | Yiwu goods trucked south and shipped with your other orders from Shenzhen or Guangzhou |
| China–Europe rail | European buyers who need goods faster than sea | Yiwu has its own rail departures to Europe; see train from China to Europe |
| Air or express | Samples and urgent small orders | Through Shanghai or Hangzhou airports |
Checklist for a Buying Trip to Yiwu
- A product list with target prices and quantities.
- Business cards, and a phone with a translation app.
- A notebook or sheet to record booth number, item number, price, carton quantity and carton size.
- Your shipping marks, to give to every supplier.
- The address of the warehouse where suppliers should deliver.
- A plan for checking goods before they ship.
- A way to pay deposits and balances, with written receipts.
Do You Need a Yiwu Agent?
You can buy in Yiwu yourself, especially if you can visit and speak some Chinese. A Yiwu agent helps most when you buy from many booths, cannot travel to China, or want someone to check the goods, pay the suppliers and arrange shipping. An agent should be paid for the service you agree, so ask how the fee works before you start.
How JIEYI Helps You Buy from Yiwu
We are a freight forwarder and sourcing agent in Dongguan. We work with Yiwu suppliers in person, agree prices, collect samples, follow your orders, arrange inspection before shipment, pay suppliers once you approve the goods, and ship from Yiwu or together with your other orders from China. See our Yiwu sourcing agent service.
Send us your product list and we will quote the sourcing and the shipping.
Yiwu Market: FAQ
What is Yiwu market famous for?
Small consumer goods: jewellery and accessories, toys, stationery, crafts and festival decorations, household goods, small hardware and textile accessories, sold in small quantities by thousands of booths in one place.
What are Yiwu market opening hours?
The main market is usually open from about 9:00 to 17:00. Some booths close on Sundays, the market closes for the Chinese New Year holiday, and many booths close for several days around other public holidays.
What is the minimum order in Yiwu?
It depends on the booth and the product. Many stock items can be ordered by the carton. Custom logos, colours or packaging need larger quantities.
Can I buy from Yiwu market without going to China?
Yes. A Yiwu agent can find suppliers, send you samples and photos, place and follow the orders, check the goods and ship them to you.
How do I ship goods bought in Yiwu to the USA or UK?
Have every supplier deliver to one warehouse, where the goods are checked and combined, then ship by LCL or a full container through Ningbo, or with your other China orders. Door to door or DDP is possible.
Is Yiwu cheaper than buying online?
Often similar for stock items, but you can see the products, compare booths and negotiate in person, and mix many small orders in one shipment.
Which port do goods from Yiwu ship from?
Usually Ningbo, the nearest main port. Goods can also be trucked to other ports or warehouses to be shipped together with orders from other suppliers.
Checked on November 4, 2026. Market figures are from China Daily (January 2026); opening hours, travel times and holiday closures vary, so confirm before you travel. Ask us about buying and shipping from Yiwu.
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