Opinion has been divided on the deafening decibels generated by the vuvuzela horns, which have been an inarguable part of the 2010 World Cup. The trumpet-like horns have also sold well around the world, as football fans try to recreate the atmosphere of South African stadiums at home and in bars.
But who would have guessed that an instrument promoted as distinctively South African was mass produced in China? According to Chinese state media “up to 90 percent of the vuvuzelas in South Africa were made in China.”
One of the manufacturing companies quoted in the report, Zhejiang-based Jiying Plastic Products, said it had sold more than one million vuvuzela horns since April. The report added that “nearly all of the vuvuzelas blown by World Cup fans come from five factories in Guangdong province and Zhejiang.”
The horns are exported “at prices ranging from RMB0.6-2.5,” state media writes, and are sold for between RMB18-53. The good news for manufacturers is that the vuvuzela craze may endure beyond the World Cup – London Mayor Boris Johnson has hinted that the buzzing bee sounding horn might be welcomed at the London Olympics in 2012.


China’s June PMI Slows For Second Month Running
July 14th, 2010China’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which is regarded as a key measure of manufacturing industry performance, dropped for the second consecutive month in June, but remained above 50 points (which marks the point of economic expansion), according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
The June PMI fell 1.8 percent month on month, to 52.1 percent. It has now registered above the 50 mark for 16th consecutive months, since last dropping below in February 2009. The Chinese PMI dropped to an all-time record low of 38.8 percent in November 2008, as the global economic crash impacted on both Chinese manufacturing order books and output levels.
Ten of the PMI’s sub-indices, including production, new orders and purchasing prices, all fell in June. The overall slowdown was attributed to “a moderation in the pace of China’s manufacturing expansion because of the country’s macro regulation policies and slowdown in global economic recovery,” according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
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