Zhejiang
Secondary hubWenzhou is the world's largest eyewear manufacturing center, producing an estimated 70% of global sunglasses by volume. The city is also a major hub for footwear, lighters, lighting fixtures, and small consumer goods. Wenzhou's industrial culture is characterized by entrepreneurial small-to-medium factories rather than huge industrial campuses — most eyewear factories are 50-300 person operations producing for international brands.
Factory base
1,000+ eyewear factories specifically, 20,000+ total manufacturers
Nearest port
Wenzhou Port (local), Ningbo (3 hours)
Airport
Wenzhou Longwan International (WNZ)
Logistics advantage
Dominant eyewear ecosystem — frames, lenses, hinges, decoration, packaging all locally produced
Eyewear importers at all volume levels — from boutique fashion eyewear to mass-market sunglasses. Strong capability for both stock styles with custom branding and full custom design.
Wenzhou International Trade City
Multi-product wholesale trading
Wenzhou Eyewear City
Specialized eyewear trading and manufacturing
Watch-outs
UV400 protection claims are routinely false — third-party testing essential. Many factories sell same product at multiple quality tiers — specifications must be detailed. ANSI Z87.1 safety eyewear is a different specialty — most Wenzhou factories don't produce true certified safety eyewear.
Paper Packaging
Paper packaging — gift boxes, mailer boxes, tissue paper, tags, labels — is concentrated in Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Wenzhou. The eco-friendly trend has driven huge growth in paper-based alternatives to plastic packaging. Quality variables: cardboard weight (gsm) and stiffness, print accuracy, structural durability, sustainable sourcing claims. We help brands navigate FSC certification and avoid greenwashing while building cost-effective packaging programs.
Sourcing guide →Sunglasses
Sunglasses manufacturing in China is centered on two clusters: Wenzhou (Zhejiang) — the world's largest eyewear production hub by volume, and Xiamen (Fujian) — historically focused on premium acetate. The category looks simple but has serious safety implications: UV protection claims, polarization quality, lens optical clarity, and frame durability all vary dramatically. 'UV400' is often falsely claimed; we test UV transmission on samples with calibrated meters before approving any program.
Sourcing guide →Events · 14 min read
Canton Fair 2026: How to Attend Effectively (and When Not to Bother)
The world's largest trade fair runs twice a year in Guangzhou. Who should actually go in 2026, what to do in each three-day phase, what to skip, and the practical logistics that determine whether the trip pays off.
Read guide →Sourcing Strategy · 14 min read
China vs India Sourcing: Where Each Wins in 2026
Where India genuinely competes with China in 2026 — and where it doesn't. Real comparisons across textiles, leather, jewelry, electronics assembly, pharmaceuticals, and IT-adjacent hardware.
Read guide →Sourcing Strategy · 14 min read
China vs Mexico for US Importers: Nearshoring Math in 2026
When nearshoring to Mexico actually saves US importers money in 2026, when it doesn't, and the USMCA / IMMEX dynamics that determine the answer per category.
Read guide →Sourcing Strategy · 16 min read
China vs Vietnam Manufacturing in 2026: A Decision Framework for Importers
Honest, category-by-category comparison of sourcing from China versus Vietnam in 2026. Real wage data, real lead-time differences, and the dual-sourcing strategy most serious importers actually use.
Read guide →Fundamentals · 16 min read
First-Time Importers: 12 Mistakes That Kill 80% of First China Orders
After hundreds of first-time-importer projects, the failure modes cluster. Here are the 12 mistakes that account for most of them — and the fixes that prevent each.
Read guide →Sourcing Strategy · 11 min read
Hong Kong vs Mainland China Sourcing Companies: Which to Use
When buying through a Hong Kong company makes sense versus going directly mainland — tax, banking, payment-flow, and accountability tradeoffs.
Read guide →We have boots on the ground here. Get a quote, or send us a supplier you found locally — we'll verify them within one business day.