Chaozhou潮州
Guangdong
Chaozhou turned out about 2.76 billion pieces of daily-use ceramics in 2025, roughly 14.8% of China's total, worth more than RMB 38.7 billion, according to the city's official newspaper. Its Chao'an district is China's largest sanitary-ware base and makes around a third of the country's sanitary ceramics, from basic vitreous-china toilets up to smart toilets. The city is also a lesser-known centre for wedding and evening gowns, producing close to 20 million pieces a year, over 90% of them for export.
Sanitary ware (toilets, basins, smart toilets)Daily-use ceramics (tableware, mugs)Decorative and art ceramicsWedding and evening dresses
Key figures
- 2.76 billion pieces (14.8% of China's total), output value over RMB 38.72 billion
- Daily-use ceramics output · 2025↗
- RMB 24.011 billion
- Chao'an district ceramics industry output value · 2024↗
- About one-third
- Chao'an share of China's sanitary ceramics output · 2024↗
- Nearly 20 million pieces a year, over 90% exported
- Wedding and evening dress output · 2025↗
Buyer tips
- Sanitary ware is split between large branded exporters and many small kiln workshops; ask for the factory's own kiln and glazing line, since small traders often resell B-grade pieces with glaze pinholes, crazing or warped flanges.
- For toilets and basins, confirm the target-market certification before sampling: UPC/cUPC and WaterSense for North America, EN 997 and CE for Europe, WaterMark for Australia. Smart toilets also need electrical approvals (UL/ETL or CE-LVD/EMC), which many smaller plants lack.
- For tableware and mugs, order lead and cadmium leach testing (FDA/California Prop 65 or EU 84/500/EEC) on the actual glaze and decal batch, not just the factory's old report; bright decals and inner glazes are where failures happen.
- Ceramics are heavy and fragile: budget for export-grade inner cartons and drop tests, and expect full-container pricing. Wedding-dress workshops usually accept small runs of a few hundred pieces, but peak-season lead times ahead of the spring wedding season can stretch past two months.
Wholesale markets
- Fengxi ceramics district (枫溪)
- Guxiang sanitary-ware area, Chao'an (古巷)
- Chao'an Bathroom Ceramic Brand Hall (潮安卫浴陶瓷品牌馆)
Trade fairs
- Chao'an Smart Bathroom Expo (潮安智能卫浴博览会), held each March at the Chao'an Bathroom Ceramic Brand Hall
Typical ocean transit
| From | North Europe | US West Coast | US East Coast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhen (Yantian/Shekou) | 35–4227–30 via Suez | 14–18 | 32–38 |
| Xiamen | 36–4128–29 via Suez | 15–19 | 32–37 |
Port-to-port, in days. Door-to-door adds inland haulage, customs and final delivery. Most Asia–North Europe services still sail around the Cape of Good Hope; the range assumes that routing. Some services are returning to Suez from September 2026, which shortens the trip to about the “via Suez” figure.
Related guides
- China Manufacturing Hubs: Which City Makes What (Cluster Map)
- Factory vs Trading Company in China: How to Tell and Which to Use
- Custom Packaging from China: Options, Printing, MOQs and Labels
- How to Negotiate MOQ with Chinese Suppliers
- AQL Explained: How Pre-Shipment Inspection Sampling Works
- Defective Goods from China: What to Do When Your Order Arrives Wrong
Other clusters in Guangdong
- Shenzhen — Consumer electronics
- Dongguan — Electronics manufacturing
- Foshan — Furniture (Lecong, Longjiang)
- Guzhen (Zhongshan) — Decorative lighting and chandeliers
- Guangzhou — Garments and fabrics
- Yangjiang — Kitchen knives and knife sets
- Shantou Chenghai — Plastic toys
- Jieyang — Stainless steel kitchenware and tableware