Xiamen enterprises see boom in exports of sporting goods as Paris Olympics approach

High-end tennis rackets produced by Topkey for export. [Photo/Wechat account of Jimei district]

As the Paris Olympic Games approach, the "Olympic Economy" continues to heat up, with many Xiamen enterprises experiencing a surge in exports of sporting goods.

"This year, the orders for our company's bicycles and tennis rackets have increased by 30 percent in the first four months," said Chen Yuhong, manager of Xiamen Topkey Composite Technology Co Ltd. Many of the company's clients are well-known foreign sports brands, and its products are mainly used to sponsor Olympic athletes.

Topkey's carbon fiber tennis rackets have become popular in foreign markets, making it the world's largest manufacturer of high-end tennis rackets. Chen further stated that major sporting events such as the Olympics often spur sales of sporting goods.

The "Olympic Economy" has also driven the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce in Xiamen. Xiamen currently boasts nearly 6,000 cross-border e-commerce sellers.

As of April this year, Xiamen had opened 16 all-cargo air routes connecting major cities in countries and regions such as the United States, France, Japan, and Brazil, with five new routes introduced this year.

In the first quarter of this year, Xiamen achieved a total of 10.64 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) in imports and exports through the cross-border e-commerce supervision platform, a year-on-year increase of 117.8 percent – the highest level in history for this period. Exports of clothing and sporting goods increased by factors of 4.7 and 1.3, respectively.