Yiwu is famous in China as a commodities center. People from all over the world come to Yiwu City to buy commodities for resale in other parts of China or abroad. Yiwu's China Small-Commodity Market has for 6 consecutive years topped China's 100 top open markets and was for successive years listed as China's civilized open market. It has been named as the banner of China's market economy and with a large variety of quality but cheaper commodities, the market has become a shopping paradise for tourists.

Yiwu has built up more than 20 famous wholesale markets which spread all over the Yiwu City , Since 1982, the first market was founded.They are Yiwu International Trade Market (5 Districts, the main market of Yiwu,also called Futian market), Huangyuan market,Binwang market, Furniture market. Besides these markets, there are also some specialized commerce Street, like zipper market, car accessories market, jewelry market etc...