News and Information

How can the industry develop better:
Looking ahead, the goal of China’s hardware industry is twofold: first, to catch up with Taiwan; second, to close the gap with Europe and the United States, ultimately achieving parity with the world’s leading standards and truly realizing our vision of becoming a global powerhouse in the hardware sector.
Since the reform and opening-up, on the international hardware supply market, developed countries in Europe and North America, driven by rapid advances in production technology and rising labor costs, have shifted the manufacture of commodity-grade products to developing countries, retaining only the production of high-value-added goods. Meanwhile, China’s robust potential in the hardware tools market has further positioned it as a major exporter of such products.
After more than three decades of concerted effort, China’s hardware industry has truly become a major player on the global stage. However, Chinese hardware enterprises still face the challenge of transitioning from being a hardware powerhouse to a hardware leader, a transformation that requires the simultaneous development of strong brands and regionally focused industrial clusters.
Innovative Technology and Branding: The Path to National Strength in the Hardware Accessories Industry
Driven by rapid advances in hardware-component manufacturing technology and the high cost of labor, developed countries have accelerated the relocation of mid- and low-end production to developing nations, while retaining domestic production of only high-value-added products.
In recent years, in Europe and North America, architectural hardware products from developed countries have increasingly focused on ease of installation and maintenance, leading to strong market demand for do-it-yourself products and tools.
China’s hardware exports account for only 3% of the country’s total export value; the issue is not merely one of technological content, but more importantly, one of branding.
A brand encompasses much more than just the product itself—it includes services, reputation, and other intangible assets. Reputation is paramount; conducting business with integrity is the fundamental principle. If the hardware products we manufacture could be sold under our own brand rather than someone else’s, at the same price as those sold under private labels, then our GDP would surely have increased many times over.
At the same time, the involvement of major conglomerates is a key factor in scaling up and strengthening China’s hardware industry.
How to build brands in China that are commensurate with the hardware accessories market is a pressing issue that we must address urgently.
With China’s accession to the WTO, a flood of internationally renowned brands is set to pour into the Chinese market—this is what we often refer to as “the wolf is coming.” But there’s nothing truly frightening about the wolf’s arrival; the key is that we must be equipped with powerful “shotguns” to fend it off.
The production and marketing of China’s hardware industry must align with both domestic and international trends, embrace globalization, and leverage innovative marketing strategies to drive corporate growth and establish a truly global brand identity.
At present, China’s hardware products hardly boast any internationally renowned brands. With the exception of the country’s first enterprise to be awarded the “China Well-Known Trademark” for slide rails and hinges in the home-furniture hardware sector—whose brand recognition is relatively high—there are still relatively few well-known domestic hardware companies in China.
We believe that, with sustained effort over time, an increasing number of Chinese hardware products will establish strong brand recognition on the international stage.