by sportswriters Liu Yang and Fu Min
XIAMEN, China, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Southeastern China's Fujian Province rarely sees snow, yet it has grown into a manufacturing base for winter sports equipment, with exports surging in 2025 on the back of demand linked to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
STRONG EXPORT GROWTH FROM SUBTROPICAL CLUSTER
Customs data showed Fujian's winter sports equipment exports jumped 51.6 percent year on year to about 220 million yuan (31.67 million U.S. dollars) in 2025.
Exports to Europe climbed 31.9 percent to 110 million yuan (15.83 million U.S. dollars), while exports to North America more than doubled, rising 110 percent to 78.44 million yuan (11.29 million U.S. dollars). Private enterprises drove the surge, accounting for over 70 percent of the total and posting a 78.3 percent increase.
The growth has been fueled by specialized manufacturers, many of them family-run, that have built expertise over decades.
At Xiamen Bier Fiber Products Co. Ltd, a ski pole signed by Finnish Olympic cross-country champion Sami Jauhojaervi is displayed in the meeting room. General manager Zhang Xionghui said the firm has supplied products used by Olympic champions at every Winter Olympics since the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Originally focused on coatings for golf clubs, the company has become a supplier to major brands including Swix, One Way, Salomon and Atomic. Zhang said exports are expected to rise 20-30 percent in 2025, with research and development already targeting the 2027-28 season.
Xiamen Better Sporting Goods Co. Ltd specializes in ice hockey gear, with production lines turning out NHL-licensed products. General manager Ye Xiaoling said North America accounts for half of the company's export volume, and she projected 12-15 percent growth this year.
To stay competitive amid U.S. tariff pressures, Ye said the company is innovating with new products, including night-vision-enabled hockey helmets.
Xiamen XCMAN Industrial & Trade Co., which makes skis, snowboards and related tools, reported a 30-40 percent increase in export value in 2025. General manager Zheng Zhouyang said Europe has been the bright spot, while the U.S. market has been constrained by tariffs.
OLYMPIC-DRIVEN GROWTH and CHINA SUPPLY CHAIN ADVANTAGE
Industry insiders and analysts pointed out that the Olympic cycle provides a powerful, predictable boost.
"The impact of the Winter Olympics on our product exports is very obvious," Zhang said, recalling orders more than doubling around the Beijing 2022 Games.
Zheng Zhouyang observed that domestic interest exploded after Beijing's successful bid for the Winter Olympics, with online marketplaces flooded with new ski shops.
Beneath this cyclical lift lies what experts term the enduring advantage of the "China supply chain."
"European clients recognize the quality and stable delivery schedules of Chinese supply chain companies. Some have shifted orders back to us from Southeast Asia," Zhang said.
Zheng Zhiqiang, a professor at the Physical Education College of Jimei University, identified "fast response, reliable delivery, rich products options, and cost-effectiveness" as the competitive bedrock of China's manufacturers.
Zhu Jialiang, an assistant professor of economics at Xiamen University, added that growth stems from both "structural prosperity on the demand side" and "product upgrades on the supply side," moving beyond mere volume to higher quality.
Zhang invests over five percent of annual revenue in R&D, making ski poles lighter to an industry-leading 48 grams per meter from 65 grams per meter.
Ye is raising her R&D ratio to five to six percent, pivoting from "offering more cost-effective products" to "providing products meeting various needs," such as equipment for inline hockey, a more accessible variant taking root in China.
A LONG ROAD TO BRAND RECOGNITION
Despite the manufacturing growth, the high-end market is still dominated by overseas brands with decades of cultural heritage.
Better Sporting Goods' own brand "CALT", launched in 2015, has found a niche in China's youth hockey gear market, selling over 20,000 sets last year.
XCMAN's own brand now constitutes over 50 percent of the company's export value, promoted via overseas social media.
"But compared to European brands with many years of history, building our own brand is very difficult," Zheng Zhouyang admitted.
"Building a brand and running a factory are two completely different endeavors," Zhang explained, requiring separate teams and commercial channels.
Zhu said the brand barrier comes from long-term technical accumulation and professional reputation, predicting the situation like "strong in manufacturing, weak in branding" will persist in the short term. ■
