Children quickly grow out of their clothes and shoes, which is why there is a huge demand for children’s clothes and accessories. China is the largest producer and exporter of clothing. The value of the Chinese children’s clothing market is USD 47 billion. Zhili, known as the “city of children’s clothing,” stands out as China’s main children’s clothing production area. When thinking about importing this type of goods, it is worth looking into the offers of many manufacturers presenting their products in wholesale markets. Meeting the factory representative can be followed by visiting the factory. It is also common practice to participate in trade shows, for example, in nearby Shanghai. It should be remembered, however, that such visits should not be paid during the most important Chinese holidays, which usually don’t fall on the same date every year.
About Zhili
Zhili is located in the Wuxing District in the prefecture-level city of Huzhou, in Zhejiang Province. Economic reforms in the 1970s allowed a poor village to become a prosperous hub for the production of children’s clothing. Huzhou itself is known as the City of Silk and one of China’s Four Silk Capitals. From this region, the imperial family during the Tang dynasty ordered silk for their garments.
Zhili – children’s clothing production area in China
At first, Zhili specialized in embroidery, but in search of more money, many people in the 80s switched to sewing clothes. At present, Zhili has a complete industrial chain of children’s clothing covering design, production, sales, storage, and logistics. Manufacturers offer clothes from well-known brands and expand their range using e-commerce. About 13,000 companies annually produce 1.3 billion pieces of clothing for children, which is equal to more than half of the total production of kid’s wear in China. 7,000 online stores from Zhili sell their products to customers all around the world.
The most popular place in Zhili where you can buy children’s clothing is Zhili China Children’s Garment Town. The complex, founded in 1983, covers a total area of 700,000 square meters. Over 3,500 exhibitors offer a variety of clothing and accessories for children. It is divided into three zones, and next to kid’s wear, you can also find toys and bedding; in total, 40,000 product categories are presented there. In addition to wholesale, Zhili China Children’s Garment Town provides services such as renting spaces for research and development, business, information, etc.
Location: No. 1 Nan, Zhili, Wuxing District, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
Website: pf.53shop.com/pifashichang/show229.html
Children’s clothing production area in China. Trade shows
Although there are no trade shows organized in Zhili, many of them take place in nearby Shanghai. Noteworthy are:
- East China Fair
On over 126,000 square meters, 6,500 exhibitors offer home and office products, gifts, consumer goods, and of course, clothing.
Location: Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), Pudong, Shanghai, China
Website: eastchinafair.org
- The Lifestyle Show
In the area of 55,000 square meters, products from the lifestyle industry are presented. In addition to products for sports and leisure, adult’s and children’s clothes are covered.
Location: Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), Pudong, Shanghai, China
Website: expolifestyle.com/cn
- Cool Kids Fashion Shanghai
A trade show entirely dedicated to children’s fashion.
Location: Shanghai National Exhibition & Convention Center (NECC), Qingpu, Shanghai, China
Website: coolkidsfashion.com/en
Children’s clothing production region in China. A Guide
How to get to Zhili?
1. By plane
The nearest airports are located in Shanghai (Hongqiao), Hangzhou (Xiaoshan), and Wuxi (Shuofang). The journey by car from each of the above-mentioned airports to Huzhou (including Zhili) takes up to two hours.
2. By train
Traveling by train, including high-speed rail, is a convenient option for traveling between major Chinese cities. Below are train routes stopping at Huzhou station in Wuxing. From there, it takes 50 minutes by car to get to Zhili.
- Beijing South, 4 to 6 hours – 510 to 860 RMB
- Hangzhou East, 20 to 40 minutes – 22 to 36 RMB
- Wuhan, 4 to 5 hours – 270 to 430 RMB
- Nanjing South, up to 1.5 hours – 70 to 110 RMB
- Shanghai Hongqiao, 2 hours – 110 to 340 RMB
- Xiamen North, 6 to 8 hours – 320 to 510 RMB.
3. By coach
From nearby, larger cities, getting to Zhili by bus or coach is easy. The journey from Shanghai to Zhili takes up to 2.5 hours, and the fare is around 60 RMB. The one-way ticket from Hangzhou costs up to 40 RMB.
How to get around Zhili (Huzhou)?
As in most cities in China, taxi service is available at a reasonable price. The starting fare is 8 RMB for the first 2.5 km. Each additional kilometer costs 2.5 RMB. For one-way trips over 7 km, an empty return fee is added.
Bus routes 40 and 201 operate in Zhili. The cost of a bus ticket starts from 2 RMB. In Huzhou, dozens of lines are available.
US duty for children’s clothes
When importing goods from China, you should remember the necessity to pay customs duties. The duty for children’s clothing does not differ from the duty for adult clothes – it is up to several dozen percent, from about 5 to 30%. The same applies to rates for baby clothes. For example, the duty rate of a type of skirt (6104.52.00) is 8.3% for both women’s and girls’; of a type of infants’ coat (4203.10.40) is 6%. Check customs rates for similar goods and important information on the import of clothing from China. In the matters of the US-China trade war, duties on clothing are raised by an additional 7.5%.
If you are interested in other production regions aside from the children’s clothing production area in China, check out our posts on this topic.