tennis ball

Sports ball (including tennis ball) exports from China are rising steadily as more overseas buyers are sourcing from the country and more suppliers continue to enhance the quality of their products while keeping prices relatively low. Steadily increasing overseas demand is pushing China's sports ball suppliers to boost production capacity. But amid healthy export growth, the industry is reeling under the pressures of the country's labor shortage, increasing production costs and intense competition. China exported 1.1 billion sports balls (including tennis ball) worth more than US$400 million in 2005, up 20 percent from the previous year. At almost 319 million pieces, exports in the first quarter of 2006 were already 25 percent higher than shipments made in the same period last year. If current growth rates are sustained, overseas shipments in the line could exceed US$500 million by the end of 2006. In the first quarter of 2006, China suppliers exported 319 million sports balls worth almost US$145 million, an increase of 25 percent in volume and 37 percent in value terms. In 2005, exports from the country amounted to 1.1 billion sports balls (including tennis ball) worth US$465 million. These figures translate to a 20 percent increase in value and 10 percent volume growth.