Arts and crafts have played a very important role in China’s traditional culture. Today, Chinese traditional crafts have developed their own unique styles and forms, as the Chinese Government has continued to try and sustain these distinctive crafts, as well as encourage their sales to an appreciative overseas market.
As with so much of the manufacturing in China, handicrafts are produced on a massive scale. According to statistical data provided by the China National Light Industry Association, as of 2010, the handicraft manufacturing industry numbers at nearly ten-thousand different enterprises. The major factory hubs are in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong Hunan, Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.
Currently, both the import and export of China’s arts and crafts products have shown impressive growth rates. In 2007, the import value of China’s handicrafts reached US $199 million, up 34.17% over the previous year, and the export value reached US $9.827 billion, which was up 13.44% from the previous year. Although rises in production cost and decreasing foreign demand can add some stress and volatility to the industry, exports have generally maintained an upward trend. With a recovering global economy from January to September 2010, China saw a year over year increase of 10.57% in handicraft exports.
CPG’s continued experience in sourcing in the fields of arts, crafts and handicrafts can help you to enter this well established and mature manufacturing industry in China. We have experience since the 1990’s sourcing and purchasing a wide range of products including, but not limited to:
• Straw
• Garlands: Natural and Synthetic
• Resin
• Glass Crafts
• Picture Frames
• Plush Toys
• Decorative Boxes
• Baskets
• Candles
• Flowers: dried and synthetic
• Wreaths