Hardware exports continue to grow

In 2013, China's hardware exports continued to show steady growth, reflecting the country's strong manufacturing capabilities and increasing global demand for construction and industrial tools. This period saw a broad range of hardware products being exported, including door and window hardware, plumbing fixtures such as faucets, showerheads, toilet accessories, valves, and pipe fittings, as well as metal components like ceiling lights, partitions, decorative panels, and fasteners such as electric screwdrivers, nails, screws, and wires. From January to March 2013, the metal products sector was categorized based on cumulative import and export volumes. Key categories included construction hardware, tool hardware, household hardware, locks, gas appliances, shower enclosures, stainless steel kitchen appliances, zippers, and range hoods. Among these, the construction hardware, tool hardware, and household hardware sectors accounted for significant shares of the total trade volume—42.99%, 17.51%, and 12.62% respectively in the first half of the year. While construction hardware and tool hardware showed slight increases compared to the same period in the previous year, there was a minor decline in some areas. Despite the overall growth, the quality and brand recognition of domestic hardware tools still lagged behind international competitors. However, the industry remained largely driven by general trade. From January to March 2013, general trade exports rose by 15.25% year-on-year, though this represented a 3.16 percentage point drop compared to the same period in 2012. Meanwhile, general trade imports increased by 2.39%, marking a 6.35 percentage point decrease from the previous year. Overall, general trade accounted for 73.34% of the total metal products trade during this period, highlighting its central role in China’s hardware export strategy.