Ed Butler

This dates back to the 90s or something.

That's consultant Ashley Dudaranok.

I'm Ed Butler, and today I'm looking at Yiwu, the Chinese city hosting the world's largest wholesale market, which itself alone provides the world with more than half of its Christmas decor.

But how secure an industry is this, given the growing cost of all this international trade, especially the trade that's going to the US?

Ever since the start of his second term in January, President Trump has been introducing, and then sometimes walking back, massive hikes on the import taxes imposed on Chinese goods.

It's left many traders in Yiwu predictably frustrated.

Storeholders in Yiwu are no longer as reliant on the US as they once were, switching exports instead to other countries.

In America, in this sector, as with other imported goods, prices have been rising.

In the run-up to Christmas, I spoke to Mac Harmon.

He's the founder and CEO of Balsam Hill, a leading brand in Christmas decor.

Mack Harmon there.

Surprisingly, back in Yiwu, there seems to be no sense of a gaping loss in their export market this year.

According to the trade consultant Ashley Dudaranok, traders have simply found other markets to tap into instead.

That's Ashley Dudaranok rounding off our look at China's Christmas city, Yiwu, where traders will already be looking ahead to Christmas 2026.

I hope you're having a great day in the UK.

I'm Ed Butler with Marketplace Morning Report from the BBC World Service.