Chinese winter sports equipment manufacturers are running at full capacity to meet a surge in overseas orders as the 2026 Winter Olympics drives rising global demand.

With the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics underway, winter sports are heating up worldwide, and so is demand for China-made ice and snow sports gear, putting Chinese products in the spotlight on overseas shelves.

In the northern Italian town of Sondrio, nestled in the Alps where skiing is a way of life, a local sports shop is stocked with skiing gear labeled "Made in China." Behind these items are busy production lines thousands of kilometers away.

In Jiaxiang County in east China's Shandong Province, glove factories remained in full operation even as the Spring Festival approached. Traditionally, winter is the off-season for ski glove production, but the Olympics boom has turned this season into a rare peak period.

Rising overseas demand has also pushed companies to accelerate technological upgrades and new product development. At a local manufacturer, R&D teams launched multiple designs tailored to different international markets in this season alone.

Jiaxiang has now grown into China's largest ski glove production base, with a complete industrial chain covering R&D, materials sourcing, coordinated manufacturing and export sales. The county is home to more than 300 glove-related companies, producing around 80 million pairs annually. Products are exported to over 60 countries and regions, generating an annual output value of 2.5 billion yuan ($360 million). More than 60 percent of ski gloves sold domestically are made there, while exports account for nearly 80 percent of China's total, ranking first nationwide.

A similar story is unfolding in Ninghai County in east China's Zhejiang Province, which has become a global hub for ski poles. Estimates show that seven out of every 10 ski poles exported from China come from Ninghai. At a local factory, inspectors were recently testing pressure resistance on a batch of green ski poles bound for Europe, designed specifically for beginner alpine skiers.

This manufacturer now offers a wide range of products, including folding, telescopic and ultra-lightweight models, steadily expanding its overseas footprint. Orders related to the Games began arriving as early as August 2025, with clients across Europe and Canada. This snow season alone has seen order volumes rise by about 10 percent.

Ninghai has developed a highly efficient, full-chain ski pole industry ecosystem, with over 95 percent of parts sourced locally. New product sampling cycles have been shortened to five to seven days, while small-batch orders can be delivered within 30 days.

Customs data shows that since the second half of 2025, China's exports of ice skates to Central and Eastern Europe and ski apparel to North America have recorded double-digit growth.

Global winter sports consumption is shifting from mass-market demand to more personalized and scenario-based needs, and "China's winter sports equipment industry has responded quickly, transforming its production model from passive order-taking to proactive adaptation," said She Weizhen, chief economist of the China Machinery Industry Federation.

"With fast-response systems similar to those seen in Yiwu's small commodities and Shenzhen's consumer electronics accessories, Chinese manufacturers can handle small orders quickly and efficiently, making products that are not only well made, but also easy to sell and enjoyable to use," She told China Media Group.

This is why China-made snow sports gear is increasingly winning both reputation and market share worldwide, She said.