Zhuji Datang诸暨大唐
Zhejiang
Datang in Zhuji produces more than 25 billion pairs of socks a year, about 70% of China's output and roughly one third of the world's, according to Xinhua reporting in 2024. The cluster's output value tops RMB 70 billion and it has more than 10,000 sock businesses of all sizes, from family workshops to large exporters. Yarn suppliers, knitting, toe-closing, dyeing, boarding and packaging are all available locally, which makes it easy to develop private-label socks quickly.
Socks and hosieryTights and pantyhoseSock yarnsSock knitting machines
Key figures
Buyer tips
- Much of the production is subcontracted between small workshops (knitting, toe-linking, boarding), so ask who does each step and audit the finishing stage, where most defects are introduced.
- Custom-design MOQs are typically set per design and colour in the low thousands of pairs; plain stock styles can be bought in much smaller mixed lots from the socks market.
- Specify fibre content with tolerances and request a test report; cotton-rich claims are frequently overstated, and labelling rules (FTC in the US, EU Textile Regulation 1007/2011) require accurate composition.
- For children's socks, ask for CPSIA/lead testing and anti-slip grip material data for the US, and REACH/azo tests for the EU; check dimensional stability after washing.
Wholesale markets
- Datang Light Textile Socks City (大唐轻纺袜业城)
Trade fairs
- China Datang International Socks Expo (中国·大唐国际袜业博览会, held each September; the 19th edition ran 9-11 Sept 2025)
Typical ocean transit
| From | North Europe | US West Coast | US East Coast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 40–4732–35 via Suez | 10–16 | 28–34 |
| Ningbo | 39–4731–35 via Suez | 12–18 | 30–36 |
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 Zhejiang
- Yiwu — Small commodities and general merchandise
- Yongkang — Vacuum flasks and thermos cups
- Cixi — Small home appliances
- Ningbo — Stationery and office supplies
- Wenzhou — Footwear and leather
- Taizhou — Plastic moulds and injection-moulded products (Huangyan)
- Shaoxing Keqiao — Woven and knitted fabrics
- Haining — Leather and fur garments
- Zhuji Shanxiahu — Freshwater pearls (loose and strands)
- Anji — Office chairs