Sporting goods go beyond fun and games

Opportunities are growing for fitness equipment exporters in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, fueled by a fitness craze that has been further boosted by the recent summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Games sparked widespread fitness interest and encouraged more consumers to learn of new and more scientific ways of exercising, driving the growth of more customized fitness equipment, industry players said.

For quite some time, Xiamen has been playing a critical role in China's fitness equipment manufacturing sector. As Asia's largest production and export base for sports, fitness and massage therapy equipment, Xiamen has seen a mushrooming of advanced sporting goods makers, according to the local government.

From January to July, the export value of sporting goods and related equipment originating in Fujian reached 7 billion yuan ($992 million), up 15.41 percent year-on-year, said Xiamen Customs.

In particular, the export value of such products to North America hit 3.13 billion yuan, surging 17.19 percent. Exports to emerging markets such as Latin America, Africa and the Middle East also witnessed significant growth over the previous year, the Customs department said.

"Fitness equipment is mainly exported via maritime transport from Xiamen Port, while some products are also transported by air, road and rail," said Zheng Yajun, a Customs official in Jitong, which administers Jimei and Tong'an districts in Xiamen.

"Among Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership member states, Laos, Singapore and Malaysia stand as the three countries that have seen the highest year-on-year growth rates in the import value of fitness-related goods and equipment from Fujian," Zheng said.

RCEP is a trade deal among 15 Asia-Pacific nations that will help lower or eliminate tariffs and establish rules on trade and investment.

Over the seven-month period, the export value of sports equipment from Fujian to RCEP member countries rose 31.03 percent year-on-year to 1.62 billion yuan, while the export of fitness equipment to countries and regions in Asia reached 1.84 billion yuan, growing 34.61 percent, according to Xiamen Customs.

Thanks to a favorable industrial environment, coupled with strong research and development abilities of enterprises, Xiamen's exports of sports and fitness-related products have been leading in the province and gained recognition from consumers.

Private enterprises have been leading the export business. During the seven-month period, the export of fitness products and equipment by private enterprises from Fujian came in at 3.53 billion yuan, jumping 47.16 percent on a yearly basis, Xiamen Customs said.

Xiamen K-Power Sports Co Ltd, a major exporter of fitness products in Xiamen, mainly exports goods to Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. Its export business accounts for 70 percent of the company's total business.

In addition, the company's domestic sales make up about 30 percent of the total, and sales in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Beijing have been robust, it said. Besides offline sales, the firm also operates online stores on major e-commerce platforms such as JD and Tmall.