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China Wholesale Market: A Factual Guide

What the sources say about Chinese wholesale markets, what we could not verify, and how to price what you buy.

The China wholesale market scene is led by the Yiwu International Trade Market, the only market for which we could verify dated facts. This guide gives those facts with their sources, says what we could not verify, and shows how to price what you buy. The Landed cost calculator on this page adds freight, duty and fees to a unit price in your browser. You type every number, nothing is uploaded, and it looks up neither freight quotes nor tariff rates. Use it to compare markets and suppliers on landed cost rather than on the unit price alone, market or website.
China wholesale market example

How to use the Landed cost calculator

Have your supplier quote and freight quote ready before you start.

  1. Enter the unit price in USD.
  2. Enter the quantity.
  3. Enter the freight quote for the whole shipment. The tool does not estimate freight.
  4. Optionally enter insurance.
  5. Enter the base duty rate in percent. Look this up in the HTS for your product.
  6. Enter each additional duty on China-origin goods in percent. Add every one that applies to your goods.
  7. Enter any other dutiable additions, such as tooling.
  8. If they apply, tick the boxes to add the merchandise processing fee (MPF) and harbor maintenance fee (HMF). Their rates are filled in from CBP’s fee table and you can edit them.
  9. Enter broker and other fees, and the cost of delivery to your warehouse.
  10. Optionally enter a target selling price, selling fees in percent and a target margin.
  11. Read the results. You get the total landed cost, the landed cost per unit, and a table showing each cost and its share. If you entered a selling price, you also see profit per unit, margin, break-even price and the price needed for your target margin.

The selling-price fields are optional. Leave them blank if you only want the landed cost.

Use Try an example to see the form filled in, and Clear all to start again. Run it once per product or per supplier, so you can compare landed cost per unit side by side.

What is the biggest wholesale market in China?

The sources we could read point to the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu as the largest wholesale market of its kind, and this is the only market we have verified facts for. Xinhua, updated in January 2026, reports that it houses nearly 80,000 booths offering over 2.1 million types of commodities, and that it trades with 233 countries and regions.

The market was founded in 1982 and is administered by the Zhejiang China Commodities City Group Co., Ltd. The Futian Market alone has five districts with about 70,000 shops. Most shops either buy goods from factories elsewhere in China and store them in Yiwu warehouses, or serve as outlets for factories. Figures differ between sources and years, so treat any single number as a snapshot.

Which Chinese city is best for wholesale shopping?

We cannot rank Chinese cities from the sources we have. We have dated, verified facts only for Yiwu, so this guide does not describe wholesale markets in Guangzhou, Shenzhen or elsewhere. To compare places, ask each market operator or the local government for current information, ask suppliers where their goods are made, and read dated news.

The Canton Fair in Guangzhou is a trade fair, not a permanent market. Travel and buyer-service sites list the autumn 2026 session as the 140th, in three phases from 15 October to 4 November 2026. Confirm the dates and registration on the official Canton Fair site.

Whichever place you compare, compare landed cost, not unit price. Duty is calculated on the goods value plus any dutiable additions you enter, not on freight or insurance, because CBP’s transaction value excludes documented international freight and insurance. The MPF default is 0.3464% with a minimum of $34.58 and a maximum of $670.86 for formal entries. The HMF default is 0.125% of the value of merchandise on imports. CBP updates these rates, so check them before you rely on the results.

Sources read for this page

Opened on the dates shown; notes say where we used a substitute.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an agent to buy at a wholesale market?

You do not have to use one. An agent may help with language, translating prices and terms, checking who made the product, combining purchases from several stalls, arranging shipping and checking quality. If you buy directly, you take on those tasks yourself. Compare both options before you decide. See sourcing agents.

Can I buy small quantities at a Chinese wholesale market?

The sources we could read do not give a general minimum order quantity for stalls. Many shops are resellers or factory outlets, so the answer depends on the seller. A 2018 source on Yiwu says that in District 4 retail is only on the fourth floor and the floors below sell in bulk. Ask each seller about minimum quantities before you commit.

Who actually made the product I am buying?

The person at a stall may be a reseller or a factory outlet, so ask who made the product and where. Ask for this in writing if you can. You can also check suppliers with the Supplier legitimacy checker and read the factory-vs-trading-company guide. Start at find wholesale suppliers.

Does the calculator know my tariff rate?

No. The tool does not know any tariff rate. Enter the base duty rate from the HTS and every additional duty on China-origin goods that applies to your product. It also does not estimate freight, so enter the freight quote for the whole shipment.

Which district in Yiwu sells what?

A 2018 Yiwugo.com news item lists the main categories. District 1 sells artificial flowers, toys and fashion jewellery. District 2 sells luggage, umbrellas, hardware and kitchenware. District 3 sells stationery, cosmetics and eyeglasses. District 4 sells socks, scarves, hats, footwear and towels. District 5 sells bedding, textiles and auto products. The same article warns that the market is easy to get lost in, so study the map. Because the information is from 2018, confirm the current layout before you travel.