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Blog: No Election Rush in the Chinese Swag Market That Predicted Trump’s First Victory

Published: Nov. 5, 2024 7:24 p.m. GMT+8

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A flag featuring the image of former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016 hangs in Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, East China’s Zhejiang province. Photo: Zi Han

Every U.S. presidential election comes with its own campaign merchandise — hats, banners, t-shirts and so on. Most of these orders will involve China’s Yiwu, the global hub for small commodities, making it something of a barometer for predicting election outcomes.

In 2016, as many pollsters saw a Clinton victory on the horizon, merchants in Yiwu were rushing to meet an avalanche of orders for pro-Trump merch, one store owner in Yiwu International Trade City recalled.

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Campaign merchandise demand for the U.S. presidential election saw a decline, influenced by both parties' focus on "Made in America" products, as illustrated by the "All-American Flag Act".
Yiwu's merchants, previously busy with orders for 2016 pro-Trump items, face uncertainty, as exemplified by a failed 120,000-unit doll order.
Increased awareness of intellectual property rights and domestic market priorities like the Double Eleven shopping spree are impacting international campaign merchandise sales.

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Who’s Who

Yiwu International Trade City: Yiwu International Trade City in China is a global hub for small commodities, frequently involved in producing campaign merchandise for U.S. elections. However, recent demand has dipped due to parties prioritizing "Made in America" products. Despite this, the city remains busy with domestic orders, especially ahead of the "Double Eleven" shopping event. The article highlights challenges like intellectual property awareness and regulatory inspections impacting merchandise related to U.S. elections.

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What Happened When

2016：: Yiwu merchants rush to meet orders for pro-Trump merchandise, despite pollsters predicting a Clinton victory.

June 2024：: A store owner reported losing a big order of 120,000 units of Trump-related merchandise after receiving a deposit.

By July 2024 or August 2024：: Any orders for campaign merchandise would have been shipped.

August 2024：: President Joe Biden signs the 'All-American Flag Act' mandating that the federal government can only buy flags produced solely within the United States.

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