China: Scorching summer heat drives surge in overseas orders for Chinese pet cooling products.

Storyline Scorching summer heat drives surge in overseas orders for Chinese pet cooling products China’s small commodities hub Yiwu is churning out cooling products this summer, with some of their best sellers targeting the fur-covered among us. Cats and dogs are vulnerable to the high temperatures, prompting a surge in orders for cooling mats, vests and other pet related products. This merchant from Iraq visits Yiwu every year, but this time, he’s adding pet related items to his list. Muhammad, merchant from Iraq: "Among the products we purchase, pet cooling mats are new additions. Given the hot climate in Iraq, cats and dogs have a great need for such products." Liu Yan has been in the pet products business at Yiwu for nearly 20 years. She says orders have been particularly strong this year from South America, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East. Liu Yan, pet products supplier, Yiwu: "The overseas market favors this blue-colored mat the most, accounting for about 80 percent of our production. Orders have grown significantly. Currently, we ship five to ten containers per month, with growth of around 40 percent." Pet cooling vests are also taking off. Made from lightweight materials with a gel inside, they've become a hit in both domestic and international markets. Hu Xiaojiao, pet products supplier, Yiwu: "We have sold about 200,000 pieces of this style this quarter, and they are very popular in both domestic and international markets." According to Yiwugo.com, the commodity market’s official website, last year’s annual sales of pet items totaled more than 295 million U.S. dollars, with roughly 80 percent of the items shipped to Europe, the Americas, Africa and Southeast Asia. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]