Overall Export Performance

From January to November 2025, China’s total sporting goods exports reached USD 22.77 billion, representing a 1.53% year-on-year increase. November exports totaled USD 1.98 billion, down 2.85% YoY but up 1.23% month-on-month, indicating a modest short-term stabilization despite continued external pressure.

Regionally, export performance showed clear differentiation:

• North America: USD 7.54 billion, –8.7% YoY
• Europe: USD 6.29 billion, +14.73% YoY
• Belt and Road countries: USD 7.12 billion, +5.22% YoY
• RCEP region: USD 4.08 billion, –6.1% YoY
• ASEAN: USD 1.96 billion, –10.61% YoY
• Latin America: +15.58% YoY
• Africa: +6.98% YoY

The top ten export destinations—accounting for roughly 59% of total exports—generated combined shipments of USD 13.26 billion, down 2.19% YoY, underscoring continued reliance on a concentrated group of mature markets.

Key Market Developments

United States

From January to November, exports to the U.S. totaled USD 6.85 billion, down 10.48% YoY. November alone saw exports fall sharply to USD 490 million, a 27.73% YoY and 21.47% MoM decline.

The downturn was driven primarily by sharp contractions in several traditional core categories, including treadmills, synthetic-fiber tents, and optical weapon sights. In contrast, select segments—such as other fitness and rehabilitation equipment, fishing rods, and fishing hooks—posted modest growth, highlighting increasing product-level polarization within the U.S. market.

Europe

Exports to major European markets showed a broad-based recovery, with many countries recording double-digit growth. Germany, Poland, Italy, France, and the Netherlands each grew by more than 15%, forming the backbone of Europe’s rebound. The UK and Spain maintained steady growth, supported by relatively stable consumer demand.

On the product side, growth was led by mid- to high-value-added categories, including fitness and rehabilitation equipment, treadmills, badminton rackets, and optical sights. In contrast, mass-market items such as synthetic tents and mainstream ball sports equipment experienced slower growth or outright declines, reflecting intensified competition and pricing pressure.

Emerging and Belt & Road Markets

Exports to Belt and Road countries displayed increasing fragmentation alongside faster structural adjustment. Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America emerged as key growth engines. Several countries recorded growth rates around or above 30%, with certain South American markets posting exceptionally high increases, signaling accelerated demand release in emerging regions.

Meanwhile, some traditional regional hubs saw notable declines, partly due to weaker re-export activity and inventory adjustments. Overall, China’s export footprint is shifting from a more concentrated structure toward greater market diversification, with emerging economies playing an increasingly important counterbalancing role.

Latin America and Africa

Exports to Latin America reached USD 1.86 billion, up 15.58% YoY, significantly outperforming traditional developed markets. Brazil stood out as the primary growth driver, while Mexico experienced a contraction. South American markets broadly maintained strong momentum, reinforcing the region’s rising strategic importance.

Exports to Africa totaled USD 553 million, growing 6.98% YoY. South Africa and Egypt remained stable core markets, while several Sub-Saharan countries recorded growth rates exceeding 25%, albeit from relatively low bases.

Product Category Trends

From January to November 2025, China’s sporting goods exports demonstrated resilience, but structural divergence and price erosion became more pronounced:

• Treadmills: Export volume surged 42.08% YoY, while export value rose only 8.20%, as average unit prices fell 23.85%, clearly reflecting a “volume-for-price” strategy.
• Other fitness & rehabilitation equipment: Both volume and value increased, though average prices continued to decline.
• General sports and gymnastics equipment: Marked volume growth accompanied by falling prices.
• Fishing equipment: Overall modest growth, with rods, reels, and hooks achieving volume and value gains, but widespread price declines persisted.
• Shooting equipment: Export value fell 8.70% YoY, with high-value products experiencing both volume and price pressure; only selected components benefited from price increases.
• Ball sports equipment: Export value declined 2.92%, with footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, and inflatable balls all showing volume and price contraction, while niche categories such as certain racket sports remained resilient.
• Protective gear, skating, winter sports, and golf products: Generally weak performance, with notable declines in scooters and golf balls.

Industry Outlook

Overall, China’s sporting goods exports in 2025 continue to exhibit a pattern of “volume growth with price compression”, alongside accelerating structural adjustment. While traditional markets remain under pressure, Europe’s recovery and the expanding role of emerging economies are reshaping export dynamics. For manufacturers and exporters, the data highlights an urgent need to rebalance strategies—moving beyond price-led volume expansion toward higher value positioning, product differentiation, and deeper penetration of diversified markets.

Reference Source:

China Sporting Goods Federation / China Customs Data