Small Chinese county commands over 65 pct of global steel measuring tape market

Yucheng county in Shangqiu city, central China's Henan Province, has developed a steel measuring tape industry cluster worth 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion).

The county is home to over 2,000 steel measuring tape enterprises that together produce 1.5 billion units annually, accounting for 85 percent of China's output and over 65 percent of the global market. Products are exported to more than 120 countries and regions, including Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia, with the industry's annual output value reaching 12 billion yuan.

In the showroom of Henan Xuanshi Tools Co., Ltd. (Xuanshi), display cases feature steel measuring tapes ranging from basic models to the latest laser versions, reflecting the industry's gradual shift toward the high-end market.

Photo shows measuring tapes displayed in an exhibition hall in Yucheng county, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

Among them, a pure silver hollowed-out steel measuring tape stands out for its striking appearance.

"This measuring tape represents one of our most significant innovations and is a star product for us," said Liu Guohui, the company's general manager. "The launch of this product marked a turning point for our company and showed how the steel measuring tape industry could move into the premium segment."

A decade ago, the company faced a development bottleneck. "Only by producing differentiated, higher-quality products could we stand out. We thought product innovations and improvements might usher in a new stage of our company's development," Liu said. In 2017, despite difficult business conditions, he decided to invest in developing new products.

"We discovered that previous measuring tape casings were sealed, and when used on construction sites, the spring would get jammed with mud and sand, accelerating damage. With the hollowed-out design, water and sand can pass directly through with minimal residue, making the tapes better suited to demanding environments like construction sites," Liu explained.

The hollowed-out steel measuring tapes, launched in 2019, received widespread market acclaim. "We brought them to a hardware exhibition in Shanghai, and the new products sold extremely well, bringing us cash flow and helping our company overcome financial difficulties," Liu said.

Around 2022, the company further improved the hollowed-out measuring tape by using stainless steel for the spring and blade to achieve dust, water and rust resistance.

The company's hollowed-out stainless steel measuring tape holds 39 patents, with a lifespan three times longer than ordinary steel measuring tapes. Sales grew from over 6 million units in 2022 to more than 30 million units in 2025. "Now we receive about 10,000 orders daily," Liu said.

Today, Yucheng county's steel measuring tape industry is gradually moving upmarket. Intelligent automated production lines have increased production efficiency by over 50 percent, while 3D modeling technology has shortened new product development cycles by one-third.

Xuanshi has partnered with a trade company in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, to sell its products via cross-border e-commerce platforms.

"Besides cooperating with trading companies, we're also exploring cross-border e-commerce platforms like Amazon to expand sales channels. We've already achieved stable shipments to European and American markets," Liu said.

Henan Bison Tape Co., Ltd. (Bison) has also excelled on cross-border e-commerce platforms. "Many of our customers are long-term clients we connected with through cross-border e-commerce platforms," said Li Qianzhi, head of Bison. As the Spring Festival approaches, Bison's overseas orders have increased 30 percent year on year, with production lines running at near-full capacity. The company has completed 80 percent of existing orders.

"We're advancing construction of overseas warehouses, positioning inventory in target markets and leveraging local e-commerce platforms and offline channels to increase product exposure and enable rapid delivery," Liu said.

Leveraging regional branding and robust industry strength, Yucheng county's exports of measuring tools, primarily steel measuring tapes, grew nearly 10 percent year on year in 2025.

In recent years, the county's growing reputation for steel measuring tapes has provided a solid foundation for brand development.

Xuanshi focuses on specific use cases, developing personalized, quality-oriented, and diversified products, using distinctive design and rich functionality as selling points to build brand recognition. "We employ a dual-brand strategy, using the Xuanshi trademark in the domestic market and the Probon trademark overseas," Liu said.

"In the domestic market, we previously produced entirely for other brands. Now, our own brand accounts for over 20 percent of sales. In overseas markets, our own brand accounts for 60 percent of sales," Liu said.

Today, many measuring tool enterprises in the county have registered their own trademarks and are gradually building their brands.

Over the years, the county has implemented multiple measures to help enterprises enhance brand awareness and move the industry up the value chain.

"This March, the China International Hardware & Tool Industry Expo will be held in our county, providing a platform for enterprises to explore domestic and international markets," said an official from the Communist Party of China Yucheng County Committee.