At the 136th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, currently taking place in Guangzhou, the theme for the second phase is “Quality Home Furnishings.” More than 200 enterprises from Chaozhou are showcasing their products, including daily-use ceramics, decorative ceramics, and bathroom fixtures, aiming to capture global orders.
Chaozhou ceramics are renowned both domestically and internationally, boasting over 300 large-scale ceramic companies. It serves as one of China’s major production and export bases for sanitary ware and daily-use ceramics. Statistics show that in the first half of 2024, Chaozhou exported ceramic products worth 4.69 billion yuan, marking an impressive year-on-year growth of 20.7%.
The Canton Fair, often hailed as “China’s number one exhibition,” is a critical platform for Chaozhou ceramic enterprises to expand their overseas clientele. This year, many Chaozhou companies are introducing innovatively designed and varied ceramic items that have attracted the interest of buyers.
“We are featuring three categories of products at this fair: coffee mugs, tableware, and candle holders with wax cups,” said Li Yuqing, the sales manager of Qingfa Ceramics Co., Ltd. The company has participated in the Canton Fair since the 1990s, and most of its clients come from this event. Currently, their overseas market primarily targets Europe and North America, with annual exports exceeding 200 million yuan.
Founded in 1992, Qingfa Ceramics specializes in decorative porcelain, daily-use ceramics, ceramic dolls, colored-glaze daily-use ceramics, and ceramic wine bottles. Li explained that their colored-glaze daily-use ceramics blend traditional designs with modern elements, offering innovative styles, colors, and techniques, all while emphasizing environmental protection.
“Our new products are developed based on trends in Europe and North America. The demand for ceramics in these markets continues to grow, with our exports expected to rise by around 20% compared to last year,” said Li. He noted a growing number of clients from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and the company is currently expanding its presence in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Guangdong Sitong Group Co., Ltd., established in 1997, is a leading ceramics company in Chaozhou, with products ranging from daily-use ceramics to sanitary ware and art ceramics. They produce over 50 million daily-use ceramic pieces annually, with most exported to North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
“We’ve been attending the Canton Fair since the 1980s, focusing our overseas market on Europe and North America. At this fair, we brought over a hundred series of products, including colored-glaze hand-painted tableware and kiln-changed tableware, aiming to gradually expand into Belt and Road countries,” said Cai Yiman, a sales manager at Sitong Group.
With the rapid proliferation of smart home technology, products such as smart toilets are becoming a “new blue ocean” in the sanitary ceramic market.
Guangdong Extraordinary Industrial Co., Ltd., another Chaozhou-based ceramics manufacturer, operates a 210,000-square-meter modern production facility for daily-use and sanitary ceramics, with products selling well in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Huang Runsheng, the foreign trade manager, shared that the company has been participating in the Canton Fair for over 20 years, continuously seeking new customers. This year, they are highlighting smart toilets and smart mirrors, hoping to connect with more clients. “In recent years, we have invested nearly 200 million yuan in building an automated production workshop for sanitary products, effectively reducing production cycles and enhancing product quality. This year, our sales in both domestic and foreign markets have seen a boost,” Huang stated.
Chaozhou has established a complete and mature ceramic industry chain. Data shows that the annual sales share of Chaozhou’s daily-use ceramics accounts for 30% of the global market, while the share for art ceramics stands at 40%, and for construction sanitary ceramics, it reaches 55%.
