How a Chinese-made toy gets to a US retailer

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, China is the world's largest toymaker, producing the majority of toys on sale in the USBySam FenwickHost – Follow the Money: Business DailyOn the underside of most children's toys on sale in the US you'll find the same three words – "Made in China".Nearly eight in 10 toys (78.3%) imported into the country in 2024 came from China, according to US government figures. , externalLast year, toys imported from China were worth $9.8bn (£7.4bn), trade figures show. , externalWith Christmas on the horizon, the toy industry in the US and elsewhere is about to have its busiest time of the year by far.As retailers prepare their stocks for the festive rush, be they online giants or "mom-and-pop" physical stores, the BBC World Service's Follow the Money series traces how a toy gets from a factory in China to the US. And where the money goes.Guangdong province, which neighbours Hong Kong in southern China, is the heart of the country's toy manufacturing industry.In the city of Dongguan workers on the floor of the Mihox factory pop plastic toys out of steel moulds, and pile them into crates ready for painting.The company says it employs more than 80...