Hats, often overlooked in global trade discussions, play a surprisingly vital role in the trade relationship between China and Saudi Arabia, driven by Saudi Arabia's climate and market demand.
China has long been a major exporter of hats to Saudi Arabia, with exports showing a steady growth trend. Data from relevant trade authorities reveals that China's hat exports to Saudi Arabia exceeded 120 million units in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 8.3%. By 2023, this figure further rose to approximately 135 million units, accounting for nearly 40% of Saudi Arabia's total hat imports. In terms of value, the export value of Chinese hats to Saudi Arabia reached $180 million in 2023, reflecting strong market acceptance.
China's hat production bases are widely distributed and mainly concentrated in several regions. The Pearl River Delta is one of the core production areas, where cities like Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen have gathered a large number of hat factories, forming a complete industrial chain from design to production. The Yangtze River Delta is also prominent; cities around Shanghai such as Suzhou and Yiwu not only have large production scales but also rely on the local commercial advantages to sell hats at home and abroad. In addition, the hat manufacturing industry in cities like Qingdao (Shandong Province) and Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province) is also well-developed, accounting for a considerable share of the domestic market.
China's core hat production regions have clear distribution of nearby ports, providing convenient logistics support for exports to the Middle East. The Pearl River Delta relies on Guangzhou Port, Shenzhen Port, and Dongguan Port, among which Shenzhen Port and Guangzhou Port are the core ports closest to Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen. The Yangtze River Delta is hubbed by Shanghai Port and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, closely radiating production hubs like Suzhou and Yiwu. Qingdao, Shandong, is adjacent to Qingdao Port, while Wenzhou, Zhejiang, can ship via Wenzhou Port or the nearby Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.
For sea freight rates from these ports to Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh (transshipment via Jeddah/Dammam required) in Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern countries, please feel free to consult our company at any time.