As World Cup boosts merch demand, China’s small-goods capital Yiwu stays wary

With less than five months to go before the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a wave of World Cup-driven orders is already rippling through China’s manufacturing heartlands. In Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city long known as the world’s largest hub for small commodities, exporters of fan merchandise and sporting accessories are reporting an early surge in overseas orders. World Cup fan merchandise maker and exporter Miji, who declined to give his full...