- Fujian Province exported ¥42.8 billion in sports goods and equipment in Jan–Apr 2026, a 6.9% year-on-year increase driven by 2026 FIFA World Cup demand.
- Treadmill exports rose 26.9% to ¥5.4 billion, with private enterprises contributing 91.5% of the province’s treadmill shipments.
- Latin America emerged as the fastest-growing market at 61.8% growth, while the EU remained the largest destination at ¥10.7 billion.
- Private enterprises dominated the export surge, shipping ¥24.1 billion (56.3% share) with 26.6% growth, led by smart-manufacturing pioneers like Shuhua Sports.
- Fuzhou Customs implemented dedicated World Cup clearance windows and intelligent document processing to ensure zero-delay shipment of tournament-related goods.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11 across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, China’s southeastern manufacturing powerhouse Fujian Province has reported a record surge in sports goods exports, with shipments reaching ¥42.8 billion in the first four months of the year, up 6.9% year-on-year, according to Fuzhou Customs data released in May.
The 48-team, 104-match tournament — the largest in World Cup history — has unleashed a wave of procurement across the global sporting goods supply chain, and Fujian, ranked fifth among Chinese provinces in sports equipment exports, has emerged as a primary beneficiary. Private enterprises led the charge, shipping ¥24.1 billion worth of goods, a 26.6% increase that accounted for 56.3% of the province’s total sports exports.
Treadmills Power the Product Mix
Fitness equipment and mass-participation sporting goods dominated Fujian’s export portfolio. Treadmill exports alone reached ¥5.4 billion in the January–April period, surging 26.9% compared to the same period last year. In the first quarter, Fujian shipped ¥3.78 billion worth of treadmills, ranking third nationally behind Zhejiang and Guangdong. The top three destination markets were the European Union (¥1.01 billion), ASEAN (¥0.96 billion), and the United States (¥0.47 billion).
Beyond treadmills, lawn tennis racket exports climbed 29.9% and roller skate shipments rose 23.8%, reflecting a broader pattern of surging demand for home fitness and recreational sports gear fueled by tournament viewership and grassroots participation campaigns tied to the World Cup.
Global Markets Embrace Fujian-Made Gear
The European Union remained Fujian’s largest sports equipment market, absorbing ¥10.7 billion in exports — a 21% increase and 25.1% of the provincial total. Latin America posted the fastest growth at 61.8%, reaching ¥2.2 billion, as host-nation Mexico and regional neighbors Brazil and Argentina ramped up imports. Shipments to Belt and Road Initiative partner countries totaled ¥12.6 billion, up 12.7%, while RCEP member states accounted for ¥7 billion, a 5.3% increase.
General trade — reflecting higher-value, branded exports — reached ¥28.2 billion, up 18.8% and representing 65.9% of the total. Meanwhile, processing trade surged 82.5% to ¥12.9 billion, signaling that Fujian manufacturers are absorbing increasingly complex orders beyond basic assembly.
Smart Manufacturing: The Shuhua Sports Story
Quanzhou-based Shuhua Sports Co., Ltd., one of China’s leading fitness equipment manufacturers, exemplifies the industry’s pivot toward intelligent, high-value production. Zhang Huanpeng, General Manager of Shuhua’s International Marketing Center, reported that the company has leveraged AI-powered smart fitness scenarios — integrating intelligent treadmills and connected strength equipment — to capture attention from overseas buyers ahead of the World Cup.
“We have strategically prioritized markets in World Cup participating nations,” Zhang said. “Sales to the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Australia have all achieved triple-digit growth, and our order book is already full through the end of October.” Shuhua’s experience mirrors a broader trend: Fujian’s processing trade value chain has shifted decisively from low-end assembly toward R&D, design, branding, and direct sales.
Yiwu and the Broader China Export Picture
Fujian is not alone. In Yiwu, Zhejiang Province — often called the “world’s supermarket” for small commodities — sports goods and equipment exports reached ¥28.3 billion in the first quarter, up 12% year-on-year. The Yiwu Sports Goods Association estimates that Yiwu-made products account for approximately 70% of all World Cup merchandise globally, spanning national flags, scarves, commemorative items, and fan props.
In Ningbo, textile manufacturers shipped 140,000 sets of fan apparel and 2 million flag products by the end of May, running eight large-scale production lines around the clock to meet last-minute replenishment orders. In Pinghu, Zhejiang, a single luggage manufacturer — designated as FIFA’s exclusive licensed luggage partner for China — completed over 10,000 authorized World Cup suitcase orders, with smart-factory yield rates exceeding 99.8%.
Customs Fast-Tracks World Cup Shipments
To capitalize on the tournament-driven demand, Fuzhou Customs has introduced dedicated World Cup material clearance windows, committing to “zero delay, zero wait” processing for time-sensitive sports equipment shipments. The agency has also deployed intelligent certificate-of-origin review and self-service printing systems, compressing the full application, review, and issuance cycle and reducing both clearance time and logistics costs for exporters.
“Fujian enterprises are no longer confined to low-end processing and manufacturing,” a Fuzhou Customs spokesperson said. “The trade value chain is steadily climbing toward advanced stages — R&D, design, branding, and direct market access.”
Chinese Tech Powers the Tournament
The World Cup export story extends beyond physical goods. Four of the tournament’s 16 global sponsors are Chinese companies — Mengniu, Hisense, Lenovo, and Geely — while Hisense’s display technology powers the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) center and Lenovo has deployed AI-powered football analytics, 3D digital human visualization, and referee-perspective video enhancement systems at competition venues. Shenzhen-based Absen installed Canada’s largest suspended LED display — over 600 square meters — at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, which will host seven tournament matches.
