In a market in eastern China, bags of long black hair: lucrative commodity for local firms, who sort the tint and export in the form of wigs and hairpieces in the world. .. to Africa.
At dawn, they are not the sellers of futures a small market Taihe have on their stands, but stores bits from around the country, dozens of customers are fighting fiercely.
“Here you have to barter farm to buy hair,” says Liu Yanwen, a young man of 35, from 5:30 am on the lookout
bargains. This is the base material to turn his factory, he says, looking at a tuft of black curls. “We are finished products, we export abroad.”
The seller Gao Pu, shaved head, opens a backpack full of locks compact, it spilled on the floor commenting, “Look, all this comes heads ordinary Chinese!”
It will sell his stock at a high price: here the natural hair can sell up to 5,400 yuan (656 euros) per kilo -. française– as expensive as truffles, although fluctuations are important
Taihe, in rural Anhui province, capillary industry is a very serious business. Over 400 companies will transform natural hair wigs, extensions and other hair pieces that will eventually … on heads of Americans, Europeans or Africans
-. Exports booming –
Fu Quanguo, 64 and the hoary head is a pioneer: he launched in the 1970s
“At first we recover natural hair in the area. “he recalls. “But today they also come from abroad, Burma, Vietnam …”
“Before, it was very difficult to make wigs, we had all assembled by hand . But since then, our business has grown, “boosted by foreign demand, he says proudly.
According to his son and heir, Qianwei Fu, hair is” by far the most large economic sector “District Taihe.
The humble markets hair and workshops more or less rudimentary whence come hairpieces are a lucrative business. Exports of local firms accounted for 66 million USD in 2012 –presque half of total exports district–, according to local government.
At the global level, the sector Natural hair is crushed by the Chinese production. China in 2012 accounted for almost 75% of world exports of products “bird feathers, artificial flowers and hair,” according to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Qianwei Fu, 36, founded his company, named Anna, whose overseas sales generate annual revenues of approximately $ 8 million –principalement United States.
“Each country has its own characteristics. The application differs in length, thickness, quality and style, “he said while workers are busy sewing, curling locks for Africa, where the take-off of economic growth boosts demand, notes Mr. Fu
-. ‘Black Gold’ –
In his factory, coarse hair are disinfected in imposing barrels before being immersed in water tanks boiling and then colored in colors ranging from blond to auburn, to red and purple. They are then dried in the oven, brushed and assembled in wigs and other accessories.
“In one day I can sew up to 1,500 units,” said Zhang Qing, a young worker of 23 years, introducing a tuft under the flaps of her sewing machine.
“If I had not joined this workshop, I will still be working in the fields. Here is much less tiring and I earn a better salary, “said Zhang Hongmei, charged with sorting out piles of bright red hair.
In the 1980s, many districts in China’s internal provinces specialize in the production of a single type of product.
Elsewhere, small towns are almost exclusively dedicated to the production of lighters, light bulbs or bras. A Taihe, the hair –and the rude health of the sector is such that local authorities aspire to devote a large industrial park.
The young Fu, who grew up in the 1980s – “at the time, we could consider ourselves lucky when we ate rice instead of corn” – employs more than 200 people
“I owe my fortune to the hair” whose “value. flew developed here have nicknamed black gold, “said Fu who accompanied foreign customers in the most expensive restaurants.
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