China-Soccer Ball Toy/Sales
China-Soccer Ball Toy/Sales
Dateline : Recent
Location : China
Duration : 1'18
Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, east China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Chen Guo, merchant at Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, talking with man
2. Various of people playing with mini soccer ball toy, soccer ball toys for sale, office workers
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Guo, merchant, Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center (starting with shot 2):
"We went through several revisions earlier -- whether to use five or six panels, and ultimately whether to go with 12 or 16 panels. We were stuck on this for a while. After running tests over and over, we eventually found that 12 panels were the most reasonable solution. We sold out everything we made on day one. Now, we've shipped nearly 400,000 units, primarily to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico markets, with the U.S. taking over 60 percent."
4. Designs of soccer ball toy shown on computer screen
5. Chen operating computer
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Chen Guo, merchant, Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center (starting with shot 5/ending with shots 7-11):
"Yiwu's entire supply chain is highly concentrated. Whatever you can think of -- as long as it's related to small commodities -- basically all the manufacturing processes are available in Yiwu. We don't worry about whether a product can be made; we just need to figure out who to turn to for a specific manufacturing process."
7. People assembling soccer ball toy
8. Various of consumers at small commodities market
9. Web page of Yiwu small commodities market
10. Aerial shot of city view
11. Consumers
12. Aerial shot of Yiwu International Trade Market
A mini soccer ball toy made in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, has become a hot seller in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with 400,000 units sold amid the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Known as "the world's supermarket," Yiwu hosts the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities.
Statistics from Yiwu Customs show that the World Cup has driven rapid growth in Yiwu's sporting goods exports.
In the first five months of this year, Yiwu's sporting goods exports to Latin America reached 980 million yuan (about 144.16 million U.S. dollars), a year-over-year increase of 17.6 percent. Exports to Canada surged 2.83 folds.
At the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, a 12-sided soccer ball toy has sold 400,000 units in about two months, leading to a daily production capacity of 30,000 units.
The toy, which has prompted overseas buyers to continuously place additional orders, mimics the classic paneled design of a standard soccer ball, combining 12 buttons with a pentagonal structure.
Its main body is made of a soft and elastic material that emits a faint sound and provides a springy rebound when pressed, catering to soccer fans' need to release tension while watching games.
From concept to production, Chen Guo and his team spent an entire month on the project, and the product took the market by storm as soon as it was launched.
"We went through several revisions earlier -- whether to use five or six panels, and ultimately whether to go with 12 or 16 panels. We were stuck on this for a while. After running tests over and over, we eventually found that 12 panels were the most reasonable solution. We sold out everything we made on day one. Now, we've shipped nearly 400,000 units, primarily to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico markets, with the U.S. taking over 60 percent," said Chen, a merchant at Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center.
Faced with an explosive surge in orders, the workshop switched to 24-hour non-stop production, with daily output stabilizing at 30,000 units.
"Yiwu's entire supply chain is highly concentrated. Whatever you can think of -- as long as it's related to small commodities -- basically all the manufacturing processes are available in Yiwu. We don't worry about whether a product can be made; we just need to figure out who to turn to for a specific manufacturing process," said Chen.
ID : 8486810
Published : 2026-06-28 16:25
Last Modified : 2026-06-28 21:45:31
Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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