First of all, today’s international match market is no longer a single market dominated by traditional old-fashioned short matches. The former first match factory in Asia is located in Botou City, Hebei Province, China. Mainly produce 43MM length safety matches. At that time, there were at least 100 giants in the state-run match industry in China. With the huge crowd and market, China became the largest producer and consumer of matches. At that time, Botou City in Hebei Province became a well-known match city after the Swedish match factory Jönköping. A large number of 43MM matches are also exported overseas every year.
Later, at the end of the 20th century, with the popularity of cheap lighters, a large number of match factories led by the Botou Match Factory closed down one after another. The 43MM short match market declined sharply in China. At present, it has basically been completely replaced by lighters in China. The production line was sold to India. Due to the hot weather in India, lighters are not as safe as matches, and with the increase in per capita income in India, short matches have begun to become popular. India has become the world’s largest producer and consumer of short matches.
Around 2005, the match market led by Germany began to upgrade. With the improvement of the economy and the improvement of people’s living standards, Germany led Europe to start to differentiate into a new match market – long-bar matches. In terms of function, it is not only a fire, but also comes with many attributes: such as advertising, hotel gifts, and fireplaces and barbecue matches sold in supermarkets. And later scented candles, to American glass bottle matches. It is collectively called a long match. In the production of long matches market, Fangzhou Match Factory, located in Anyang, Henan Province, started from customizing long matches for hotels on the basis of the state-run Anyang Match Factory in 2000. Now it has become the foundry of many well-known foreign brands, and with the passage of time, Fangzhou Match has also begun to make its own brand, and its business has expanded to scented candles.
So the city now famous for match production is divided into two.
- Traditional short matches: major cities in India
- Xinxing Long Match: Fangzhou Match Factory in Anyang City, Henan Province, China.