Licensed products are displayed at a toy store in the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on July 25, 2026. [Photo/IC]

Yiwu in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, is lowering barriers for small merchants seeking licenses for well-known brands and characters through a licensing service center at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center.

Established by Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, the center pools licensing resources and negotiates with rights holders on behalf of merchants. It has integrated resources covering more than 2,000 domestic and international properties, including major names such as Disney, Sanrio, and Pokemon.

Under a "use first, share revenue later" model, merchants can access licensed properties without high upfront costs. Collective negotiations can also reduce licensing costs for individual merchants.

The center links licensing with product development, cross-border marketing, and intellectual property protection, helping merchants turn licensed designs into products for overseas markets.

Yiwu also works with more than 20 major cross-border e-commerce platforms, giving local businesses wider access to global sales channels.