Covid-19 in China: world’s biggest Christmas product maker gets back to business after 10-day lockdown

The eastern city of Yiwu is the biggest global supplier of festive decorations, but production had ground to a halt during the peak production season

But lockdowns continued in other parts of the country, including major tourist destinations in Hainan and Tibet

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Yiwu produces around two thirds of the world’s Christmas decorations. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 9:06pm, 21 Aug 2022

The Chinese city that provides the bulk of the world’s Christmas products started to get back to business on Sunday after a 10-day lockdown that choked economic activity, but restrictions remained in place in some of the country’s major tourist hotspots.

Yiwu, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, is home to the world’s largest small commodities market and a key hub for e-commerce and sourcing low-cost goods.

A city wide-lockdown that went into force on August 11 – in the middle of the peak production season for the many local Christmas decoration manufacturers and exporters – was officially lifted on Sunday, allowing businesses to resume operations.

It has been estimated that around two-thirds of the world’s Christmas products are made in Yiwu.

Many local enterprises had expressed concern that the lockdown would prevent overseas clients from placing orders for fear of supply chain disruption.

The city has reported 710 confirmed cases this month.

Luo Xiaojun, Yiwu’s deputy mayor, told a press briefing on Sunday that 805 enterprises had resumed operations and most employees had returned to work.

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