China is one of the largest manufacturers of small home appliances, and Cixi in Ningbo is the leading small home appliances production area in China. When looking for a supplier of small home appliances in China, it is worth considering manufacturers from Cixi and attending trade fairs that focus on small home appliances in that region.
Where are small home appliances manufactured in China?
China is the largest manufacturer in the world. The country is divided into production bases with clusters of factories and wholesalers of individual industries. Ningbo, and specifically Cixi in Ningbo, is one of such manufacturing bases. Cixi is known for the production of small home appliances.
Cixi is a county town located in eastern China in Ningbo Prefecture (Zhejiang Province). It has access to Hangzhou Bay and lies in the middle of the “financial triangle” (Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo). The area has been named Cixi since the Tang Dynasty (AD 738).
Cixi – small home appliances production area in China
Cixi ranks sixth in the ranking of the most competitive economies at the county level in China (2021). It is also one of the three most important areas to produce home appliances in China. Other important production areas of small household appliances are Shunde in Foshan and Hefei.
As much as 40% of exported goods from Cixi (Ningbo) are small home appliances, mainly for the European and the United States markets. All over Ningbo, there are thousands of household appliance manufacturers and enterprises supporting the industry.
Many devices fall under the category of small home appliances, such as:
- coffee machines, milk frothers
- vacuum cleaners, cleaning robots
- irons, steamers
- juicers
- food processors, mixers, blenders
- epilators, electric brushes, hair-curlers
- air conditioners, air humidifiers
- electric heaters.
In most cases, manufacturers specialize in producing a given type of small home appliance, like kitchen or bathroom appliances. Cixi has many small home appliances factories, so you will not be disappointed in the variety of products.
There are a couple of wholesalers in Cixi. One such place is Shangdu Wholesale Center (商都). Shops selling small home appliances in Shangdu are located on the ground floor and the second floor. Many wholesalers are also in Fuhai and Xinpu districts.
Factories of small home appliances in China
If you plan to visit several factories, we recommend that you make appointments in advance. Schedule two visits per day at most since distances in China are huge. If you prepare well for negotiations with Chinese partners, you will increase your chances of getting the best offers.
If you cannot travel to China, feel free to contact us. We will conduct a factory inspection on your behalf with photo documentation. Even if you have met a business partner in person, we recommend that you have the potential contractor verified. It is also worth conducting quality control when goods are ready for shipping to ensure quality and compliance with the order.
When placing a production order with a Chinese manufactory, you can choose OEM, ODM, or OBM:
- OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) – import of another company’s products, but under your brand name
- ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) – import of products based on your specifications under your brand name
- OBM (Original Brand Manufacturer) – import of products of another brand.
Small home appliances trade fair in Cixi (Ningbo)
CHAE is an abbreviation for China Cixi Home Appliances Expo, an annual home appliances fair organized in Ningbo. There are over 500 exhibitors and 25 thousand participants.
The scope of the fair includes water appliances, kitchen, and bathroom appliances, home appliances as well as small and smart home appliances. Examples of small household appliances presented at CHAE include:
- electric heaters
- irons
- hair dryers
- air humidifiers
- humidity regulators
- blenders
- juicers
- mixers
- massagers
- electrical exercise equipment and accessories
- coffee machines
- electric kettles
- water heaters
- and many others.
Location: Ningbo International Convention and Exhibition Center, Ningbo, China
Website: cxchae.com
Small home appliances production area in China. A Guide
How to get to Cixi?
By plane
You can easily get to Cixi from Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, or Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The journey is about one and a half to two hours by road from every airport.
By bus or car to Cixi
You can get by bus or car to Cixi from:
- Hangzhou (one and a half hours)
- Shanghai (one and a half hours)
- Ningbo (one hour from downtown).
There are many bus terminals in Cixi: Intercity, East, West, South, and North. Before traveling, check which bus terminal is right for your journey.
How to get around Cixi?
Long distances are common in Chinese cities. The best way to move quickly around Cixi (Ningbo) is by taxi. The taxi tariff starts at 10 RMB. When traveling by taxi, have your destination address in Chinese characters at hand.
There are over 100 bus lines in Cixi. Buses run from 4:30 AM to 10:20 PM. The bus fare is 1-5 RMB.
US duty rates for small home appliances
Importers have multiple responsibilities. One of them is to carry out customs clearance formalities, including the payment of customs duties. The duty on small home appliances is usually up to a few percent. In some cases, there is an additional duty on products from China imported into the USA. We present examples of small home appliances and their customs duty rate:
- Vacuum cleaners of capacity up to 20 liters (8508.11.00.00) – 0% + 25%
- Food grinders, processors, and mixers; fruit or vegetable juice extractors (8509.40.00.00) – 4.2%
- Water heaters and immersion heaters (8516.10.80.00) – 0% + 7.5%
- Hair dryers (8516.31.00.00) – 3.9%
- Travel electric flatirons (8516.40.00.20) – 0%
- Coffee or tea makers (8516.71.00.00) – 3.7%
- Toasters (8516.72.00.00) – 5.3%
For more duty rates on electronics, check out our guide, “US import duty on electronics from China.” Check also other production areas in China.