Buying toys in Yiwu, with our agent
Our strongest operational presence is in Yiwu. Toys in the Yiwu market are mainly in District 1, on the first floor. Trendy toys are also sold in the new Global Digital Trade Center, opened in October 2025. The floor layout changes, so our agents confirm it before you arrive.
The range runs to hundreds of items: plush toys and dolls, plastic cars and play sets, jigsaw puzzles, board games and playing cards, tricycles and scooters, battery-operated toys, and seasonal lines for Christmas and the beach. Quality and price vary widely, so you choose in person. We organise a Yiwu buying trip on which our agent goes through the district with you, translates, conducts the negotiations in each shop and records the orders.
What we check on toys
Suppliers deliver the goods to our warehouse in Yiwu. Mass production can differ from the sample, so we check quantity and quality there. With toys we look in particular at:
- Small parts. Eyes, buttons and accessories on plush toys must be firmly sewn or welded. On toys for children under 3, no part may come loose.
- Batteries. The battery cover must be secured with a screw. A toy with sound is also an electrical product.
- Colour and smell. A strong chemical smell, or paint that rubs off on a finger, is a reason to stop the order.
- Age grading. The age mark and the warnings must match the product and the test report.
- Match with the sample. Colour, material, size and the number of parts in the set.
For a full container at a factory in another city, the agent carries out the check at the factory, anywhere in China. In both cases you receive a photo and video report before loading. The check does not replace laboratory testing. Read more on the page quality control in China.
Safety documents
Toy safety in the region rests on the EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC, transposed into national law, and on the EN 71 standards. For each model we ask the supplier for:
- EN 71 test reports from an accredited laboratory, issued for the exact model;
- a declaration of conformity from the manufacturer;
- the CE mark on the toy or its packaging.
A trading company at the market often has no test reports of its own, so we ask the factory for them. Without them, market inspection can stop the goods, and the importer is responsible if a toy fails a safety test.
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| Market | Rule |
|---|---|
| Macedonia | EU rules transposed; enforced by the State Market Inspectorate |
| Serbia | Own conformity mark by default and its own toy safety rulebook; CE accepted only where foreign documents are recognised |
| Montenegro | Toy safety rules aligned with the EU since 13 July 2024 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Rules partly at entity level; Republika Srpska has its own toy rulebook |
| Kosovo and Albania | National rules confirmed with the forwarder before the order |
The Serbian mark is covered on the page shipping from China to Serbia. Confirm the requirements for your product and market before importing.
Packing and cartons
- Cartons. Suppliers use thinner cardboard for light plush toys, and in the container the upper rows crush the lower ones.
- Moisture. The sea voyage takes weeks, so plush toys are packed in bags, with silica gel.
Example: a mixed order from four market shops
The dimensions are taken from the packing lists.
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| Item | Carton (cm) | CBM per carton | Cartons | Total CBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plush animals | 60 × 40 × 50 | 0.12 | 120 | 14.4 |
| Plastic play sets | 55 × 38 × 42 | 0.088 | 200 | 17.6 |
| Battery-operated cars | 50 × 35 × 40 | 0.07 | 150 | 10.5 |
| Board games | 45 × 30 × 30 | 0.041 | 100 | 4.05 |
| Total | 570 | about 46.6 |
The volume exceeds the practical capacity of a 20' container (about 30 CBM, 33 m³ internal). A 40' HQ (about 70 CBM) leaves about 23.4 CBM free. We choose between LCL consolidation and a full container together with you, according to the weight and type of goods. You can work out your own list in the CBM calculator.
Ordering calendar
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| Goods in your warehouse | Order deadline (via Suez) | Order deadline (around Africa) |
|---|---|---|
| early October (Christmas and New Year) | early June | mid-May |
| early May (summer goods) | early January | mid-December |
| late July, for shelves by early August | late March | early March |
Once the goods are ready in China, allow 60 to 75 days via Suez or 70 to 90 days around Africa for delivery to your warehouse. The table is calculated backwards from the upper end of that range, with 45 days of production. Samples are agreed 14 days earlier. Transit times are approximate. We confirm the exact time and route for each shipment, based on the current situation on the sea lanes.
The last row allows 7 days for distribution. Summer orders are confirmed earlier if production overlaps with the Chinese New Year closure. Avoid buying trips around that holiday and from 1 to 8 October, China's National Day holiday (Golden Week).
Tariff number and customs
Toys are classified in chapter 95, mostly under heading 9503. Examples from our work: 9503 00 41 stuffed animals, 9503 00 70 toy sets, 9503 00 10 tricycles and scooters, 9503 00 99 other toys, 9504 40 playing cards. The forwarder confirms the exact code.
We do not carry out customs clearance. A forwarder handles clearance, duty and VAT, your own or one we recommend. We deliver the goods to the customs warehouse and hand over the documents. Read more in the guide customs duty and VAT on goods from China.
How we work together
We have been in China since 2006, with our own warehouses in Yiwu and Ningbo and four agents employed by Transcont. One of our clients is a children's toys wholesaler with more than 10 imports a year, which supplies smaller shops and its own retail shop. It runs the whole process through our agents in Yiwu: we collect the goods from all its suppliers in our warehouse, check them and ship them by sea.
Send us a list or photos of the toys, the quantities and the destination and, if you plan a trip, the approximate dates.
