Chinese furniture exports reached 10.3 billion USD in 2004, 3 billion higher than in the previous year. In the first two months of 2005, furniture exports totaled 1.967 billion USD, an increase of 38.7% compared to the same period of last year.
US antidumping duties imposed on wooden bedroom furniture from China didn’t induce the expected decrease in Chinese exports, but prompted exporters to sell different products to different countries. Now, over 100 countries import furniture from China.
Around 70% of the US, EU’s and Japanese furniture imports come from China. According to US Customs, about 7.7 billion USD of furniture is from China (5.2 billion USD registered by China Customs). A lot of US importers buy products from the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and northeast China.
Every year, Germany, UK, France and Japan increase their furniture imports from China by 30%. China exports furniture to the following countries: the US, 52% of the total exports; EU, 11%; Japan, 8%; Canada, 3%; Australia, 3%; Hong Kong, 12% and others 11%, according to figures from China Customs.
The second largest retailer in India is purchasing products from 40 furniture companies in Guangdong, China.
Even some Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, begin to buy furniture from China.
Furniture exports will be soon valued at 12-13 billion USD, according to estimates.
East China neck-to-neck with South China in terms of furniture exports
Furniture exports from East and South China reached 9.058 billion USD, accounting for 87.5% of the total furniture exports. Exports from Guangdong Province were 4.536 billion USD, while Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong and Shanghai (East China) exported furniture for 4.522 billion USD.
As a center of furniture manufacture, Guangdong is still no. 1 in furniture production and exports, playing a key role in this industry. There are 6,000 factories and one million people involved in the Guangdong furniture industry. Output in 2004 was 76 billion RMB Yuan and export was 4.536 billion USD. Furniture produced in Guangdong is mainly for export. There are 49 companies with exports over 10 million USD in Guangdong. The province has led the furniture exports for 5 years.
Furniture exports in the four provinces and one city in east China increased rapidly in recent years. From 1.17 billion USD in 2000 to 4.522 billion USD in 2004, the exports increased almost 3 times within 4 years. The main factors could be:
• some furniture manufacturers transferred their factories from the Pearl River Delta to the Yangtze River Delta.
• foreign investment companies in Shanghai developed quickly
• private companies are rapidly increasing their exports
So far, Yangtze River Delta represents the best choice for investments. But, after the number of furniture companies reaches one thousand, it could become more competitive than Pearl River Delta. And the situation might change.
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