HANGZHOU, Dec. 26-- Christmas trees, hats and lights from the major small commodity hub of Yiwu in eastern China are adding festive atmosphere to a large number of homes around the world. This small town in Zhejiang Province, known as "Christmas Village," has led many to believe that the world's Christmas holiday cannot be separated from Made-in-China goods. According to industry statistics, 80 percent of the world's Christmas products come from China, of which Yiwu accounts for 80 percent. Students from Futian primary school nearby the massive Yiwu International Trade Market have already regarded Santa as their neighbor. "Santa Claus is not from the Arctic or Finland, but from Yiwu." "I am not surprised at this figure at all," said Li Qunwei, who owns an import and export company in Yiwu. "There are more than 2,000 Christmas tree wholesalers here. My annual sales range from 30 to 40 million yuan (around 4.3 to 5.7 million U.S. dollars), just above the average level." Many exporters are feeling the pressure from the slowing global economy, but some have managed to win more orders with new innovative products. "Orders from the United States grew by 20 percent and new products accounted for half of the sales this year," said Qu Xiaoping, an ornament lights wholesaler in Yiwu. Yiwu's exports of Christmas products reached 1.97 billion yuan from January to November this year, an annual increase of 22.8 percent, according to Yiwu customs. |