The three clusters compared
Direct answer
Cluster choice is a trade between tooling depth, cost base and how easy the supply chain is to audit.
Key facts
- These three comparisons used to sit on each cluster page, identical in every one of them.
- Bands are published per sub-category with the unit stated, drawn from the listings we have sampled.
- 1. Pick the cluster by product, not by price — a lure programme in a rod cluster pays for capability it cannot use.
These three comparisons used to sit on each cluster page, identical in every one of them. They are consolidated here so that a number has one home: when a figure changes, it changes in one place rather than in three copies that drift apart.
How the three clusters compare on the numbers that decide an order
| Measure | Weihai, Shandong | Guan, Hebei | Xianxian, Hebei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary strength | Rods, hard lures, metal jigs | Rods and accessories at volume | Lures and value rods |
| Share of global fishing rod output | Roughly 60%, per industry reporting | Not a rod-first cluster | Not a rod-first cluster |
| Tooling depth | Deepest —the oldest rod supply chain | Moderate | Newer, still building |
| Best used for | Programmes where specification risk is highest | Cost-driven volume on known specifications | An independent price reference |
| Verification runs | Per factory, 4 gates, every 90 days | Per factory, 4 gates, every 90 days | Per factory, 4 gates, every 90 days |
Reference price bands across the clusters
Bands are published per sub-category with the unit stated, drawn from the listings we have sampled. A band is a starting point for a quotation, not a quotation.
| Sub-category | Sample size | Reference price band (US$ / unit) | Median low | MOQ band (pcs) | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishhook | 9 | 0.07 – 2.40 / piece | 0.65 | 100 – 2,000 | Fishing Accessories |
| Metal Jig | 6 | 0.97 – 4.11 / piece | 1.48 | 100 – 200 | Fishing Lures |
| Spoon & Spinner | 6 | 0.31 – 6.00 / piece | 1.25 | 50 – 500 | Fishing Lures |
| Other Hard Lure | 6 | 0.56 – 12.04 / piece | 2.95 | 20 – 500 | Fishing Lures |
| Soft Lure | 6 | 0.20 – 3.85 / piece | 1.55 | 50 – 1,000 | Fishing Lures |
| Hard Lure | 6 | 1.85 – 3.20 / piece | 2.60 | 100 – 100 | Fishing Lures |
| VIB | 6 | 0.24 – 2.50 / piece | 1.39 | 100 – 500 | Fishing Lures |
| Minnow | 6 | 0.37 – 3.17 / piece | 1.40 | 50 – 500 | Fishing Lures |
| Fishing Rod | 3 | 9.15 – 132.55 / piece | 28.05 | 20 – 100 | Fishing Rods |
| Crankbait | 3 | 0.30 – 0.85 / piece | 0.66 | 200 – 500 | Fishing Lures |
| Octopus Skirt | 3 | 0.08 – 2.80 / piece | 0.98 | 100 – 2,000 | Fishing Lures |
| Fishing Accessory | 3 | 0.62 – 60.00 / pack | 9.62 | 5 – 200 | Fishing Accessories |
How a buyer should choose between them
1. Pick the cluster by product, not by price — a lure programme in a rod cluster pays for capability it cannot use. 2. Get a band from each cluster for the same specification before choosing. 3. Normalise unit, order quantity and basis before comparing anything across clusters. 4. Check the export markets on the record: a factory already shipping to your market has cleared compliance once. 5. Re-run the 4 gates on any factory that is new to you, in any cluster. 6. Re-check after 90 days —capacity and price move, and the record date is the only warning you get.Where this sits in the process
This page is one topic out of the verification standard. The overview is Which Chinese fishing tackle cluster should you source from?, and the other topics on this page are listed there.
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