Chinese-made Christmas exports have slowed this year, but
internal demand is still rising, according to the latest statistics
released by China's General Administration of Customs.
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China has become the world's manufacturing center of Christmas
commodities including presents and toys. Chinese-made Christmas
commodities are the major force of the world's Christmas market.
More than 80 percent of artificial Christmas tree are made in
Shenzhen, a city in south China's Guangdong Province.
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"Chinese merchants will have the merriest Christmas," Time
magazine said in its latest issue. But the magazine could find it
has drawn its conclusion too soon.
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Exports of Chinese-made Christmas commodities were hindered by
rising raw material prices, lowering price demand enforced by
foreigners, and fierce trade competition. The General
Administration of Customs statistics shows that Guangdong, China's
major Christmas commodity export province, exported US$620 million
worth of Christmas goods in the January-November period, down 19.6
percent to that of last same period.
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China exported US$4.58 million of Christmas toys in the past 11
months, down 25.4 percent.
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An official with Guangdong provincial customs disclosed that
Chinese Christmas toys have been challenged by barriers from
European countries, including product quality and intellectual
property violations.
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Insiders say that barriers Chinese Christmas toys encountered at
European markets hindered Chinese merchants from earning Christmas
money overseas.
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Although not happy with overseas markets, Chinese Christmas
commodities are in rising demand on domestic market.
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In Beijing, one can see Christmas tree everywhere. Christmas
commodities sale is fizz in Beijing's commodity wholesale
markets.
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Detailed statistics of Christmas commodity internal sales have yet
to come out, but the phenomenon is very encouraging: internal
Christmas commodity sales have occupied some certain market
shares.
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Sun Xiaopeng, an official with the Nanjing Jinsheng wholesale
market, told Xinhua that the orders for Christmas commodities have
seen a leap from last year, with a 5 to 10 percent growth.
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Chen Tianfen, a Christmas decorations vender in Beijing's Tianyi
Market, has been busy since November. "Christmas decorations are
selling well, and we are extremely busy during this period," said
Chen.
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Wang Shaoqi, secretary general of Shenzhen handicraft industry
association, said that with people's quality of living up, more
Chinese have begun to celebrate Christmas, a symbol of China's
economic development and residents' improved living standard.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2004)