DeepSeek Forecasts Major Boom in Yiwu After 2025 Chinese New Year Market Opening

YIWU, China, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 9, the 12th day of the Lunar New Year, Yiwu International Trade City marked the grand opening after 2025 Chinese new year, warmly welcoming global business leaders. In preparation for the occasion, 75,000 merchants at Yiwu International Trade City have meticulously curated an array of popular new products, ready to be unveiled for international visitors from around the world.

Based on its monitoring data, DeepSeek summarized that on the first day of the market opening, offline visitor traffic surpassed 235,000, reflecting a 2.6% year-on-year increase. Leaders from the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee and Government, the Yiwu Municipal Party Committee and Government visited the market to express their support for the development of the "World Supermarket." Their presence included distributing Spring Festival couplets, "Fu" characters, and red envelopes to merchants. The opening celebrations reached a global audience through Chinagoods, the official online platform of Yiwu Commodities City, which livestreamed the event and offered digital red envelopes and blessings. The broadcast garnered significant international attention, attracting 1.558 million views and interactions worldwide.

Most merchants saw a strong start to the year. Cai Peifen, a toy merchant in District 1, remarked, "A new toy we just launched sold over 100 cartons on the opening day." Ma Beiya, a wig merchant in District 3, shared, "Even while I was celebrating the New Year back home, overseas customers were already reaching out and placing orders online—there was no downtime during the Spring Festival."Similarly, He Lihong, a packaging industry merchant in District 2, noted that their packaging factory remained fully operational throughout the holiday, busy fulfilling orders.

This year, foreign buyers have arrived at the Yiwu market earlier and in greater numbers than ever before. Anas Sabouni, a buyer from Syria, shared, "Before the market opened, I took a trip to Shanghai and Hangzhou to immerse myself in the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. As soon as the market opened today, I returned to make my purchases. I mainly focus on toys and perfumes. Last year, I bought around 500 containers, and this year, I plan to purchase even more!"

A strong start is rooted in past achievements. During the 2025 Spring Festival, the "Yiwu Treasure Year" initiative, jointly launched by the Yiwu Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism and Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, delivered impressive results. According to monitoring data from DeepSeek, during the "Yiwu Treasure Year" event, daily visitor traffic at Yiwu International Trade City peaked at over 300,000, a 10%-15% increase compared to 2024. The estimated transaction volume is expected to exceed 50 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of more than 20%, driven largely by global buyers stocking up and the recovery of domestic consumption.

Chinese New Year product purchases on the Chinagoods platform have surged by 26% year-on-year. In celebration of the Year of the Snake in 2025, the Yiwu market has introduced a series of snake-themed products, including cultural and creative gifts, decorations, and more, with estimated sales expected to exceed 5 billion yuan. Additionally, products incorporating traditional Chinese cultural elements, such as hanfu and intangible cultural heritage crafts, have become popular favorites among both domestic and international buyers.

Foreign friends, regardless of age or background, have shown a deep appreciation for Chinese New Year products and traditions. This was vividly showcased in the micro-musical video named "A Chinese New Year Across the Seas", released the day before Chinese New Year's Eve in 2025. Produced by Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, the musical authentically highlights how Chinese-made products reach global audiences through the Yiwu market. In the video, a Yiwu businesswoman uses the "Spring Festival Gift Box" from Yiwu Selection to send New Year goods to friends and family worldwide, symbolizing not just the joy of shared life moments but also the warmth of Chinese culture crossing oceans. The video brings to life the saying, "Yiwu brings the world the flavor of Chinese New Year." Following its release, it received widespread praise and was shared by official media outlets.

As highlighted by international friends in the video, "Yiwu's New Year is the most flavorful Chinese New Year."

According to relevant data, during the 2025 Spring Festival, Yiwu attracted a total of 941,000 visitors, reflecting an 11.68% year-on-year increase. The number of overnight visitors reached 348,000, a 22.91% growth compared to the previous year. With China's extension of visa-free stays to 240 hours for visitors from 54 countries and regions as of December 2024, Yiwu—a city with strong international appeal—looks set to seize new growth opportunities in the coming years.

It is worth noting that on February 6, just three days before the Yiwu market opening, the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Government held a high-level mobilization and deployment meeting in Yiwu to launch the deepening of Yiwu's comprehensive international trade reforms and the development of the China-Europe Railway Express Hub. Key leaders attended the meeting, underscoring the need to focus on "capacity enhancement, reform breakthroughs, and model innovation" to advance the dual circulation strategy and contribute to the new development pattern. Yiwu International Trade City plays a pivotal role as the "vanguard" of these reforms and is expected to take on greater responsibilities, especially with the planned opening of Yiwu's Sixth-Generation Market—the Global Digital Trade Center—in October 2025, which will introduce entirely new business operations.

Prior to this, the Chinagoods Yiwu Commodities City Annual Gala recognized the "Top 60 Yiwu Businesswomen" of 2024, forming the "Yiwu Businesswomen Show Team." This group is ready to take the lead in welcoming global business partners for the 2025 Global Wealth Creation Season, set to launch on April 15.

It is evident that, driven by both economic trends and policy reforms, Yiwu's market is primed for new growth opportunities in 2025. According to DeepSeek's projections, Yiwu, renowned for its ability to "create something from nothing," will not only remain a popular destination for county-level tourism but also emerge as a top choice for global entrepreneurship and wealth creation. With the latest round of international trade reforms and the surge of digital trade, Yiwu—this "land of opportunity"—holds immense business potential for the future.

SOURCE Yiwu International Trade City