(Yicai) June 20 -- Because of the uncertainties brought about by the US tariff policy, Chinese small commodities manufacturers have been receiving Christmas goods orders from international clients since May.

Christmas commodities orders are highly seasonal, Wu Qingfen, general manager of Yiwu Jingwen Import and Export, told Yicai. Large and medium clients typically place orders in July, while spot buyers wait until September, she noted, adding that this year’s huge number of bulk-buying orders in May reflects a risk-averse attitude due to tariff policy uncertainties.

China’s Yiwu, known as the world’s capital of small commodities, exports over 20,000 types of Christmas products to more than 100 countries and regions every year.

While US tariffs have a “negligible” direct impact on Yiwu’s exports, the broader tariff war has disrupted the shipping market order, said Jiang Jiangping, head of the Yiwu Christmas Supplies Industry Association. Global clients placed early orders this year to ensure goods can hit the shelves before Christmas, he added.

This trend is also noticeable on business-to-business transborder e-commerce platform Alibaba.Com. During the mid-year shopping festival, Alibaba.Com launched a Christmas stock-up event for overseas buyers.

On June 3, the event’s first day, US orders for Christmas products on Alibaba.Com surged over 50 percent from a year earlier. Among that, orders for festive accessories skyrocketed over 120 percent, and those for Christmas toy gifts climbed six-fold.

Editor: Futura Costaglione