KIEV, March 21 (Xinhua) -- "We've been working on toys for 17 years, and for all the 17 years we've been working with Chinese toy makers, because no other people can give us similar goods," said Inna Georgieva, a co-owner of toy chain shops from southern Ukraine.
The Georgieva family runs the toy chain shops Igrushki-Opt in the Odessa region. She was in the Ukrainian capital Tuesday to attend the 21st international trade fair of children goods held at the International Exhibition Center.
About 70 toy producers from Ukraine and abroad exhibited products during the fair, but Georgieva told Xinhua that she was interested only in toys offered by Chinese producers.
She explained that China-made toys are very competitive on the Ukrainian market because of reasonable price and good quality.
"Speaking of the quality, it is hard to compare, for instance, Ukrainian and Chinese toys, because China produces more interesting, more intellectual toys," Georgieva said.
Besides, China-made toys are much cheaper than those produced in Ukraine or in European Union countries, she added.
Experts estimate China-made toys account for about 90 percent of the Ukrainian market. The playthings are largely imported into the East European country from Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.
However, due to consumer spending boosted by an overall economic recovery in Ukraine, more and more Chinese toy makers are seeking to enter the Ukrainian market of more than 40 million consumers.
The trade fair of children goods attracted about a dozen of Chinese makers from Shantou in Guangdong, a global hub of toy making.
They presented a variety of toys, ranging from plastic knick-knacks to remote control cars and even robots.
Zhang Aibing, deputy head of the Shantou Convention and Exhibition Economic Association, said she sees good prospects for Chinese makers to expand their achievements in Ukraine's toy market.
"We are optimistic about the prospects to further advance in the Ukrainian market. We have studied beforehand the products here and the market as a whole. Ukrainians spend a lot of money on goods for children," Zhang told Xinhua.
She was echoed by Chen Xuan, from Shantou-based major block toys maker BanBao. He said China and Ukraine have vast opportunities for cooperation in the toy industry as the two economies are highly complementary.
"We make good toys, while Ukraine is the good market. Therefore we can come together, and we hope to cooperate," Chen said.
A single purchase
