China News Service, Linyi, Shandong, November 11 (Sun Qian) In China, 6 out of 10 pairs of labor protection gloves come from Zhongcun Town, Pingyi County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. The town produces 6 billion pairs of labor protection gloves annually, and its output can supply one pair for each person in the world for about 80% of the world's population.
Zhongcun Town, located in the Yimeng Mountain District, is known as the "Famous Labor Protection Glove Town in China". In the 1970s, the first local glove factory was born. After decades of development, there are now more than 690 glove and cotton spinning-related enterprises in the town. Their products maintain a stable share in the domestic market and are also exported to countries and regions such as Japan, South Korea, Russia, and EU member states.
According to statistics, from January to September 2026, the total import and export volume of glove products in Zhongcun Town was 218 million yuan (RMB, the same below), a year-on-year increase of 50.5%. In 2025, the output value of the town's glove industry will reach 5 billion yuan.
In the workshop of Shandong Hengdeli Gloves Co., Ltd., 28 production lines work around the clock. Each white cotton glove is put on a mold, and the processes of dipping, soaking, drying, stripping, and packaging are completed in sequence. "Our company specializes in labor protection gloves made of cotton, nitrile, and polyurethane." Yu Shengli, the company's administrative director, said that 90% of the company's products are supplied to overseas customers, of which the Japanese and Korean markets account for more than half. "We have just signed an order worth more than 7 million yuan with a Polish customer." He said that according to the current shipment pace, the company exports three containers and about 600,000 pairs of gloves every day.
In recent years, Zhongcun Town has focused on the glove and cotton spinning industry to extend and repair the chain, carry out industrial chain investment, and continuously guide backbone enterprises to carry out supporting cooperation and division of labor with small and medium-sized glove enterprises, forming a healthy development chain in which small and medium-sized enterprises focus on quality and ensure supply, and backbone enterprises build brands and engage in research and development.
In 2013, local "post-90s" entrepreneur Dong Meng purchased 30 machines and started from a family workshop. Today, he runs a factory with more than 500 machines and more than 40 workers. The factory’s revenue in 2025 will exceed 10 million yuan. "My products can be supplied to local companies or sold by myself." Dong Meng said that Zhongcun Town's supportive policies helped him obtain a smooth loan and reduce the burden of starting a business. The mature industrial ecology has stabilized the customer base.
"There are more than 200 households in our village, and nearly 90% of the villagers are engaged in glove-related work." Lu Fuwei, secretary of the Party branch of Sanhesi Village, Zhongcun Town, said that this industry is highly inclusive of employment, and people of all ages can find suitable positions, and every household can increase their income.
Tang Quan, a 37-year-old villager in the village, is one of them. He runs a family glove workshop equipped with 50 machines. He said that self-employment not only has flexible time and a decent income, but also allows him to stay with his family.
Zhou Lei, chairman of the People's Congress of Zhongcun Town, said that in recent years, the town's textile glove industry has continued to expand and has formed a pillar industry with distinctive characteristics and outstanding advantages. Products have expanded from ordinary labor protection gloves to functional gloves, and local companies have been guided to strengthen research and development to help the transformation and upgrading of the traditional glove industry.
