While football fans around the world follow matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, traders in Yiwu are tracking a different set of numbers: orders, shipments and delivery schedules.

Since last year, factories in the eastern Chinese city have been producing footballs, jerseys, flags and other fan merchandise for overseas markets. According to Yiwu Customs, the city's exports of sporting goods and equipment reached 11.65 billion yuan ($1.72 billion) in 2025, marking a 20.3% year-on-year increase. Momentum continued into 2026, with exports surpassing 2.34 billion yuan ($346 million) in the first two months of the year, up 38.5% from a year earlier. Exports to the US, Canada and Mexico totaled 550 million yuan ($81 million) during the same period, an increase of 21.3% year on year.

Known as one of the world's largest wholesale markets for small commodities, Yiwu has built a dense network of manufacturers, suppliers and logistics providers. Products can often be sourced, assembled, packaged and shipped within days before beginning journeys to customers thousands of kilometers away. Many of those journeys pass through the transport corridors that connect factories, warehouses and consumers across continents.

Following the route

One example is the China-Europe Railway Express, which has become an increasingly important option for companies moving goods between Asia and Europe.

According to China State Railway Group, China-Europe freight trains operated 9,331 trips in the first five months of 2026, up 21% year on year. International freight services linking China with Europe and other parts of Asia handled a combined 15,506 trips during the same period. The railway carries a wide range of products, from machinery and auto parts to household appliances and e-commerce parcels. The network now connects 129 Chinese cities with 235 cities in 26 European countries, while also reaching more than 100 cities across Asia.

In May, the service marked another milestone when its 130,000th train departed from central China's Zhengzhou for Hamburg. Since its launch, goods transported through the network have been valued at more than $520 billion, according to the railway operator.

The numbers behind the network

The scale of those connections can also be seen in the latest trade figures. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs on June 9, China's goods trade totaled 20.68 trillion yuan ($3.05 trillion) in the first five months of 2026, up 15.3% year on year. In May alone, trade reached 4.45 trillion yuan ($657 billion), marking the third consecutive month that monthly trade volume remained above the 4-trillion-yuan mark.

Machinery and electrical products remained a key driver of trade growth. Exports of such products rose 18.4% year on year to 7.58 trillion yuan ($1.12 trillion) during the January-May period, while imports of machinery and electrical products increased 25.3% to 3.54 trillion yuan ($523 billion).

Behind those figures are companies involved in every stage of production and distribution, from component suppliers and manufacturers to logistics operators and technology providers. For many of them, the next stop is Beijing, where the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) opens on June 22.

A meeting point for global supply chains

The expo is expected to draw participants from across the world, reflecting the increasingly interconnected nature of modern supply chains. Organizers say 676 companies, industry organizations and specialized enterprises from 85 countries, regions and international organizations have confirmed their participation. Foreign exhibitors account for 36.5% of participants, while more than 65% are Fortune Global 500 companies or industry leaders.

Australia will serve as the Guest Country of Honor, marking its first official national-level participation in the expo. France's Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region and Italy's Liguria Region will participate as Guest Regions, while Anhui and Hainan provinces will serve as Domestic Guest Provinces.

Including upstream and downstream partners brought by exhibitors, the total number of participating companies is expected to exceed 1,200. More than 150 overseas business delegations have also confirmed attendance.

The event's exhibition halls cover sectors ranging from advanced manufacturing and clean energy to digital technologies and healthcare, reflecting the industries that increasingly shape cross-border supply chains.

Looking beyond factories and freight

Supply chains have traditionally been associated with factories, ports and transportation networks. Increasingly, they are also becoming linked with data, software and artificial intelligence (AI).

That shift will be visible at this year's CISCE, which will feature a dedicated AI exhibition area for the first time. Companies including Nvidia, Intel, Qualcomm and Alibaba are expected to showcase technologies related to manufacturing, logistics, supply chain management and industrial applications. Organizers expect more than 160 new products, technologies and solutions to make their debut during the event, alongside more than 60 business exchange activities.

From football merchandise produced for World Cup fans to AI systems designed to manage industrial operations, the exhibits on display in Beijing will cover different parts of the same supply-chain journey — how products are made, moved and delivered in an increasingly interconnected global economy.