China is a leading destination for stationery manufacturing, renowned for its wide range of high-quality products at competitive prices. In this article, I will provide you with essential information about China’s stationery manufacturing industry. Then, you will gain a deeper understanding and make wise purchasing choices.
Ningbo, Zhejiang
Ningbo is known as the “Capital of Chinese Stationery.” The stationery industry accounts for approximately one-fifth of China’s total stationery output, and it ranks first in terms of industrial scale and innovation capabilities within China. Ningbo produces a wide range of stationery products, with over 10,000 varieties available, ranging from low-end to high-end.
Several well-known stationery enterprises have emerged in Ningbo, such as Deli, and Beifa, which is the largest pen manufacturing company in Asia. The industry is mainly concentrated in the following areas:
Ninghai County specializes in a wide range of stationery products, including ballpoint pens, erasers, and creative stationery items. It is also a major hub for pencil sharpener production worldwide. It is the source of core components and technological patents, even though there may be production in other places.
Haishu District primarily manufactures paper stationery products, such as writing paper, notepads, and notebooks.
Beilun District focuses on art pens and paper products, such as colored pencils, oil pastels, and highlighters.
Cixi and Yuyao City mainly engage in medium and small-scale pen manufacturing and other office stationery items, such as file folders, pen holders, staplers, and whiteboards.
Now Ningbo’s stationery industry consists of both independent brands and OEM production.
Lishui, Zhejiang
Qingyuan County in Lishui is the largest pencil production base in China, accounting for over 30% of the global market share. Its products are mainly exported to countries and regions such as Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. It offers convenient access to raw materials, providing both semi-finished and finished products.
In addition to pencils, it also manufactures ballpoint pens, highlighters, rollerball pens, and carbon pens. Many manufacturers in this area are also suppliers to well-known stationery brands such as Deli and M&G.
Tonglu, Zhejiang
Fenshui Town in Tonglu is the manufacturing base for ballpoint pens in China. The town is home to a total of 992 pen manufacturing and supporting enterprises, producing approximately 40% of China’s total ballpoint pen output. Currently, Fenshui Town has developed into an industrial cluster with a wide range of products, including ballpoint pens and rollerball pens. It is characterized by a large scale, strong supporting capacity, and competitiveness.
Additionally, there is a specialized industrial chain in place. For example, Company A specializes in producing springs, Company B mainly produces plastic pen barrels, Company C supplies pen refills and pen tips, and Company D is responsible for assembling the finished products.
Shantou, Guangdong
The stationery industry in Shantou has a long history of development and occupies a leading position in China. It has formed a complete industrial chain integrating research and development, production, sales, and services. Also, it undertakes OEM and ODM for various brands. Many well-known stationery brands have emerged here, such as Comix, Jinwannian, Kinary, etc.
Shantou Stationery mainly focuses on medium to high-end products and offers a wide range of products, including various pens, PP stationery (including folders, and filing cabinets), notebooks, calculators, glue, etc.
Shanghai
The pen industry in Shanghai holds a top position in China in terms of product brands, varieties, quality, and scale. Now a supporting system has been formed, including pen manufacturing, pen accessories production, pen mold production, pen packaging and printing, and stationery production. They together form a complete pen industrial supply chain.
As an important base for the pen industry in China, various types of pens are produced in Shanghai, such as watercolor pens, ballpoint pens, fountain pens, rollerball pens, gel pens, and mechanical pencils. Well-known stationery brands such as M&G, Hero, and Chung Hwa have originated from this place.
In addition to these 5 locations, there are also several manufacturers of notebooks, pens, and other stationery items in various other places.
Discover 3 best stationery wholesale markets
Apart from directly visiting stationery manufacturing locations to find suppliers, you can also consider exploring various large wholesale markets. Wholesale markets offer a wide variety of options and choices, making them suitable for purchasing multiple types of stationery at once. Next, I will introduce to you the three largest stationery wholesale markets in China.
Yiwu International Trade City
Yiwu International Trade City is the largest small commodity wholesale hub in the world, encompassing various daily necessities. Stationery items are located in District 3. There are over 6,000 business stalls offering more than 20,000 different products, such as writing instruments, paper products, and other office and learning supplies.
The majority of merchants in this market are factory-direct sellers, wholesalers, and agents. Due to the large number of businesses and intense competition, prices are relatively low. So it is a must-visit destination for stationery buyers to sample and place orders.
The products in the Yiwu market come from all over the country, including nearby cities like Ningbo, and Wenzhou, as well as Guangzhou, Shanghai, and even other countries. Moreover, Yiwu hosts the China Stationery and Gift Fair in June every year. It serves as both a trade fair and a new product launch event, aiming to fulfill the needs of buyers for one-stop purchasing.
Guangzhou Huangsha Stationery Wholesale Market (广州黄沙文具批发市场)
As a stationery business district, it contains numerous large and small stationery wholesale markets. Among them, the two largest are Yiyuan and Xingzhiguang.
Yiyuan occupies an area of over 10,000 square meters and has nearly a thousand stalls. Many stalls specialize in specific products. For example, some exclusively sell fountain pens, adhesive tape, or the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, paper, and inkstone). Yiyuan offers a wide range of stationery types and brands, including domestic brands like M&G and international brands like Zebra of Japan.
Xingzhiguang has two sections, the South and the North. The majority of shops here are comprehensive stores, primarily offering mid-range to low-end products. You can basically find all kinds of back-to-school supplies for wholesale in one store, such as school bags, pencil cases, erasers, and so on.
Sungang Stationery Toy Gift Wholesale Market (深圳笋岗文具玩具礼品城)
This is the largest stationery trading center in Shenzhen, with a business area of over 10,000 square meters and over 10,000 different products available. The majority of the merchants here are reputable manufacturers and trading companies from Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, etc.
The main products sold in the mall are stationery items, such as various styles of ballpoint pens, various-sized pencils, and oil pastels. And they also offer sports equipment, toys, office supplies, and other related products.
Jingsourcing helps you import stationery from China
As a leading sourcing company in China, Jingsourcing has helped 4000+ clients source and customize products from China. We can provide one-stop services, from supplier selection, production follow-up, and quality inspection to shipping. Our advantages are as follows:
15% Cheaper than Alibaba
We have cooperated with 200+ manufacturers located in the above industrial clusters, and keep a good relationship with them. So we can get a competitive price for you, whether for consumable office supplies, such as paper, pens, tapes, ink, or art stationery like crayons or brushes. In addition, the suppliers all have passed our strict factory audit. They are professional in dealing with various orders and familiar with the latest production technology.
Customization available
Besides purchasing different stationery items, we also can realize your complex customization ideas. Our sourcing agents are experienced in dealing with different stationery categories, such as customizing logos and ink colors.
If you want to customize the shapes of the pens, you can directly send your finished product design to us. And we will match the supplier to make samples according to your requirements. If you just have a rough idea, we also can help you perfect the details of the drawings until it meets your requirements.
During sample-making, if you are not satisfied when receiving it, we will keep modifying and following up on the process until the PP sample is confirmed. So you just need to check the result rather than spend a lot of effort and time on communication. We can help you deal with everything occurring in customization.
Product inspection
We offer flexible quality inspection services. Our inspection team will inspect your products according to AQL sampling standards. If you wish to minimize the defect rate to 0%, you can ask for our full inspection service. And we can focus on the details you care about, like the pattern in the notebooks, or ink output of the pens. We will show you photos and videos during the inspection, and you can decide if the issues are acceptable.
