Local water toys make splash abroad on cooling economy boom

Inside the production workshop of Shantou By Toys Industry Co in Chenghai district of Shantou, Guangdong province, the injection molding production lines are operating at an orderly pace, with workers busy assembling water toys including sand shovels, beach buckets and water guns.

The toys are then packaged and prepared for export.

Overseas orders for cooling and water-related products have increased significantly since early July, thanks to a continuous rise in demand for such products, following sustained high temperatures in many countries and regions, according to local customs authorities.

The cooling economy has become a significant driver of growth in local toy exports. In addition to beach and water-related toys, export orders for products like cooling fans are also steadily increasing.

"Our company mainly exports desktop fans, which are well-received by overseas customers," said Wang Wanna, general manager of Shantou Xinqi Geze Technology Co Ltd, also a toy and cooling products manufacturer in Chenghai.

Overseas clients have placed an additional order for 20,000 units of such fans this year, Wang said.

According to customs data, enterprises in Chenghai exported summer cooling products such as beach and water-related toys and small fans worth 28.944 million yuan ($4.29 million) from January to July, marking a year-on-year increase of 27.1 percent.

Despite a nationwide slowdown in overall toy exports, shipments of water-related products have experienced continued steady growth in the past few months, according to the Chenghai Toys Association. China's export of toys declined 11.32 percent year-on-year in the first six months of this year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Chenghai, with 68,000 toy production and industry-related enterprises, accounts for one-third of the global production capacity for plastic toys, with products exported to over 170 countries and regions, according to a toy creative industry development report released in 2025.

"Toy companies in Shantou are keeping pace with the rising overseas demand and local consumer trends by constantly optimizing existing categories and developing new products," said Xie Tao, deputy director of the comprehensive business department of Chenghai Customs.

As beach toys are highly seasonal products, characterized by short-cycle and large-volume orders, companies need to seize the short summer period to complete production and delivery, according to Xie.

To prevent quality issues from affecting delivery, local customs has proactively assessed the summer export push and formed a team of technical experts to provide guidance on toy quality and safety.

"In addition to physical safety factors such as smooth, burr-free edges and secure assembly, we also focus on the limits of harmful substances like phthalates and heavy metals in raw materials," said Xie.

To address the demand during the peak season for summer toy exports, Chenghai Customs has implemented a series of measures for local companies to help them align with international standards, mitigate export risks and enhance competitiveness in the international market, Xie added.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn