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China makes 90% of World Cup vuvuzelas

By Song Jingli (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-06-17 16:08
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China makes 90% of World Cup vuvuzelas

A soccer fan blows the vuvuzela as she waits for the start of the 2010 World Cup Group D soccer match between Serbia and Ghana at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria June 13, 2010. [Agencies]

The vuvuzela, a long, plastic trumpet which has aroused much controversy for its huge noise-making ability, turns out to be an opportunity for Chinese manufacturers despite narrow profit margins.

About 90 percent of the vuvuzelas blown by soccer fans during the 2010 FIFA World Cup are made in China, the National Business Daily reported, citing Wu Yijuan, manager of the Ninghai Jiying Plastics Manufacturing Company in Zhejiang province.

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Wu said his company made more than 1 million vuvuzelas from the beginning of this year to April.

There are up to five such companies in the whole market, mainly located in Ningbo, Zhejiang province and Shantou, Guangdong province, Wu added.

Vuvuzelas are priced from $3 to $8, and the profit margin for Chinese manufacturers is less than 5 percent, the report said.

Wu said the output of his company this year may surge to 28 million yuan ($4 million) from last year's 18 million yuan.

Wu said the World Cup market had huge potential, and he estimated the whole trumpet market would exceed $20 million this year.

Lin Maoyun, sales manager of the Guangdong Guangda Toy Company, said her company has manufactured and sold more than 20 types of vuvuzelas to the Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil and South Korea. Lin said sales are better than she expected and orders have been piling up.