tent

China produces a variety of outdoor furniture, including tent and garden chairs and tables, lounge and beach chairs, park benches, swing chairs, garden umbrellas and pavilions. The outdoor furniture industry in China consists of about 400 manufacturers. It is largely composed of small and midsize locally owned companies that focus on midrange and high-end products. Reflecting the industry structure, the majority of makers in this report are also locally owned. About 9 percent are foreign-invested or joint-ventures. Exports of outdoor furniture from China have been steadily rising even as the industry struggles with sharp increases in material costs, labor shortage and inadequate power supply. The country exported an estimated US$2 billion worth of outdoor furniture in 2004, and this is expected to increase by about 20 percent this year. Prices of most types of tents are expected to increase moderately in the next six to 12 months to reflect adjustments in the cost of raw materials, including steel, aluminum, iron and plastic, whose prices have been fluctuating over the past 18 months.