Cultural sensitivity key to ceramics market

Sitting in front of her computer screen, Lai Jinxing is fine-tuning the details of a reindeer handicraft to be ready for sale in Western markets by Christmas next year.

Every detail of the reindeer, including its stylization and color, must be confirmed with the buyer. A final design is then produced on a 3D printer for the customer's approval.

Lai is a designer at the Shunmei Group, a ceramics company in Dehua, Fujian province, which exports 80 percent of its products to European and US markets.