LED Lighting Manufacturers in China: Exports and Rules

By ChinaManufacturers.com Editorial Desk · Updated 30 October 2026 · How this page was researched

China is the default source. China exported US$56.1 billion of lighting in 2024, nearly flat (-0.3%), with the US as its largest market (CALI, Feb 2025); no global share is published.

Is China still the default source for LED lighting?

Yes. China remains the default source for LED lighting, on the strength of export scale and the absence of any documented large-scale shift. LED lighting means lamps (bulbs and tubes) and luminaires (fixtures) that use light-emitting diodes rather than filaments or gas discharge.

According to the China Association of Lighting Industry (CALI, the national trade body for China's lighting makers), China's lighting exports were US$56.1 billion in 2024, down 0.3% from 2023. The United States was the largest single destination. Europe and America together took about US$27.2 billion, or 48%, and the top ten markets about US$28 billion. Belt and Road markets took about US$25.2 billion (45%). CALI's figures are based on China Customs data, but CALI is an industry association, and it does not publish a global share. No document source was found that states China's share of world lighting production or exports, so the verdict rests on scale rather than on a measured share.

The mix within that total matters to buyers:

electric light sources: about US$6.3 billion (11%), down 8.5%;
automotive lighting: about US$4.5 billion (8%), up 11%;
photovoltaic (solar) lighting: about US$1.8 billion (3%), up 35%;
LED modules: about 5.9 billion units worth about US$480 million.

China Daily, a state-owned newspaper, reported US$34.4 billion of lighting exports for the first eight months of 2025. That figure is reported, not audited.

Where LED lighting is made

Guzhen, Zhongshan: the fixture cluster

Guzhen, a town in Zhongshan, Guangdong, is the main lighting-fixture cluster. Zhongshan's lighting output exceeds RMB 100 billion a year, according to China Daily (October 2025). The same article states that Guzhen accounts for 70% of China's domestic market and "roughly half of the global market." The global figure is promotional and carries no cited data source; treat it as a claim, not a statistic. Guzhen has hosted the Guzhen International Lighting Fair since 1982. Wikipedia reports that most of the town's output is unbranded OEM goods, though that article is thinly sourced.

Guzhen is strongest in decorative and residential fixtures. Commercial and industrial luminaires — high-bay, panel and streetlights — and smart lighting come from suppliers in both Guangdong and Zhejiang.

Other centers

The Shenzhen area is generally associated with LED chips, packages, drivers and smart or commercial luminaires; Ningbo and Hangzhou in Zhejiang and Xiamen in Fujian with lamps, components and chips. No document with city-level output was retrieved for these centers, so the list reflects industry convention.

How LED lighting production is organized

The supply chain runs in layers. LED chips are packaged into LEDs (SMD, surface-mount devices, or COB, chip-on-board), mounted on boards to make LED modules, paired with a driver (the power supply that converts mains power for the LEDs), and built into a lamp or luminaire. A fixture factory may buy every layer except the housing.

Business models

Small importers usually buy ODM (original design manufacturer) catalog fixtures under their own label, or OEM (original equipment manufacturer) fixtures built to their own drawing. Trading companies and showroom wholesalers in Guzhen are common intermediaries between the two.

MOQ, lead time and cost structure

Catalog fixtures with only a logo or packaging change carry the lowest minimum order quantities. Custom die-cast housings, extrusions, glass and optics need tooling, which raises the MOQ and adds lead time. Certification adds more: UL or ETL listing, DesignLights Consortium (DLC) or ENERGY STAR qualification, and FCC testing of drivers. No document gives quantified MOQs or lead times.

Cost is driven by LED package grade and binning (sorting LEDs by color and brightness), driver quality (flicker, power factor, surge protection), thermal design (the aluminum mass that carries heat away), optics, certifications, and freight volume, since fixtures are bulky. Quotes are usually per unit, FOB (Free On Board — the seller's cost and risk end once the goods are loaded at the named port) Zhongshan, Shenzhen or Ningbo, at stated quantities.

DOE efficiency standards for LED lamps

General service lamps (GSLs — the ordinary screw-base bulbs and similar lamps sold for general lighting) are covered products under US Department of Energy (DOE) efficiency rules. Two standards matter as of October 2026:

The 45 lumens-per-watt backstop. Codified at 10 CFR 430.32(dd) by the final rule at 87 FR 27439 (9 May 2022), it took effect on 25 July 2022. Retail sales of non-compliant lamps were barred from August 2023.
The 2024 amended standards. DOE's final rule at 89 FR 28856 (19 April 2024) covers CFLs and general service LED lamps of 310 to 3,300 lumens. It took effect on 3 July 2024, with compliance required from 25 July 2028.

Sources describe the 2028 level slightly differently. The Appliance Standards Awareness Project puts it at about 125 lumens per watt for the most common bulbs, with a 60-watt-equivalent drawing no more than about 6.5 watts; an Inside Lighting headline (July 2026) says 120 lumens per watt. The adopted table in the rule itself was not read for this page, so confirm the value for each lumen range in the Federal Register text.

The 2028 date still stands. DOE's July 2026 Process Rule proposal and request for information did not repeal or amend any existing lamp standard (Inside Lighting, July 2026).

DOE also requires manufacturers and importers of covered products to certify compliance, and FTC Lighting Facts labeling applies; the specific CFR sections were not re-read for this page. For imported covered products, the importer is generally treated as the manufacturer for DOE purposes.

FCC rules and UL listing

LED drivers and electronic ballasts emit radio-frequency energy, so they fall under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. LED lamps and drivers are generally treated under Part 15 as unintentional radiators; some RF lighting devices fall under Part 18. Smart or connected lighting with Wi-Fi, Zigbee or Bluetooth Low Energy radios needs Part 15 certification.

The testing behind those authorizations is concentrated in China. In its 2025 "bad labs" order, the FCC found that about 75% of FCC-certified devices are tested in recognized labs located in China (FCC 25-27, effective 8 September 2025). FCC Chair Carr cited 82% for 2025 at the 29 October 2026 vote, according to press reports. The two figures come from different years and may measure different things. At that vote, the FCC moved to stop recognizing labs in countries that deny reciprocal treatment to US labs, including mainland China, with testing to move by December 2028. The adopted text had not been published as of this page's date. Lighting drivers tested in Chinese labs are affected.

Safety listing works differently. UL 1598 (luminaires), UL 8750 (LED equipment) and UL 1993 (self-ballasted lamps) are the usual standards. Federal law does not require NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) listing for consumer sale, but the National Electrical Code, electrical inspectors, retailers and insurers require it in practice for installed fixtures. California Title 20 and other state rules may be stricter for some lighting; they were not researched for this page.

Tariff exposure, dated

As of October 2026, Chinese lighting carries several tariff layers, and some of them could not be confirmed by HTS line for this page:

Legacy Section 301 lists. Coverage of the main lighting codes — 9405 (luminaires), 8539.52 (LED lamps) and 8541.41 (LEDs) — was not confirmed by list. Check each code in the HTS.
Section 301 semiconductor increase. The four-year review raised the rate on listed semiconductor subheadings to 50% from 1 January 2025 (89 FR 76581). Whether LEDs under 8541.41 are among the 16 listed subheadings was not confirmed.
Section 301 forced-labor tariff. A 12.5% additional duty on products of China entered on or after 24 July 2026 stacks on the legacy lists. Goods subject to Section 232 are exempt from this layer.
Section 232 steel and aluminum. Steel and aluminum articles and listed derivatives carry 50%, applied to full customs value since 6 April 2026 (Proclamation 11021). Fixtures could be caught as derivatives; whether 9405 lines are on the derivative lists was not verified.

IEEPA tariffs ended on 20 February 2026 (Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump), and a 10% Section 122 surcharge ran from 24 February 2026 until the forced-labor tariff replaced it in late July.

Where LED lighting production is shifting

No document source shows a large-scale shift of lighting production out of China. CALI reports exports holding at US$56.1 billion in 2024, with growth going to Belt and Road markets rather than away from Chinese factories. Solar lighting grew 35% and LED modules 69% by value that year.

Some US-bound fixture assembly is reported to have moved to Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand and India under tariff pressure, but no quantified source supports the scale of that move. Even where fixtures are assembled outside China, LED packages, drivers and components are still largely sourced from China.

Common mistakes and how to evaluate a supplier

Buying to today's standard, not 2028's. Lamps that meet the 45 lm/W backstop may not meet the 2028 level. Long-life inventory and private-label lines need to be designed to the later standard.
Accepting a borrowed UL or ETL mark. Verify the listing in the certifier's online directory against the factory and model number. A test report is not a listing.
Ignoring driver emissions. Cheap drivers fail FCC Part 15 emissions tests and cause radio interference. Ask for FCC test reports on the exact driver used.
Skipping DOE certification. For imported GSLs, the importer carries the DOE certification duty.
Comparing quotes without specifications. Lumen output, CRI (color rendering index), efficacy, driver brand, warranty and thermal design vary widely between quotes for "the same" fixture.
Underestimating freight. Fixtures are bulky for their value, so packaging design changes landed cost.

When evaluating a lighting supplier, ask which layers it makes itself — housings, modules, drivers — and which it buys in. Request the driver's make and model, its FCC test report and the lab that issued it, the UL or ETL file number for the finished product, and photometric data for the exact configuration being quoted.

Frequently asked questions

Where are most LED lights made in China?

Guzhen, a town in Zhongshan, Guangdong, is the main cluster for lighting fixtures, and Zhongshan's lighting output exceeds RMB 100 billion a year, according to China Daily (October 2025). The Shenzhen area is generally associated with LED chips, packages and drivers, and Ningbo and Hangzhou in Zhejiang with lamps and commercial lighting, though no document with city-level output for those centers was found.

How big are China's lighting exports?

China exported US$56.1 billion of lighting products in 2024, down 0.3% from 2023, according to the China Association of Lighting Industry. The United States was the largest single market, and Europe and America together took about 48%. CALI's figures come from China Customs data; no official source gives China's share of world lighting exports.

What DOE efficiency rules apply to LED bulbs?

Two standards apply. A 45 lumens-per-watt minimum for general service lamps has been in force since July 2022 (10 CFR 430.32(dd)). DOE's 2024 final rule (89 FR 28856) sets higher levels for general service LED lamps of 310 to 3,300 lumens, with compliance required from 25 July 2028; one summary puts the level at about 125 lumens per watt for common bulbs.

Did DOE cancel the 2028 light bulb standard?

No, not as of October 2026. DOE's July 2026 Process Rule proposal and request for information did not repeal or amend any existing lamp standard, according to Inside Lighting. The 2024 final rule's compliance date of 25 July 2028 therefore still stands for general service LED lamps, and lamps imported for long-term inventory should be designed to meet it.

Do LED lights need FCC approval?

Yes. LED drivers and lamps emit radio-frequency energy and generally fall under FCC Part 15 as unintentional radiators, while connected lighting with Wi-Fi, Zigbee or Bluetooth radios needs certification. Under the FCC's 29 October 2026 vote, labs in mainland China lose recognition, with testing to move elsewhere by December 2028, so new authorizations will need test reports from labs outside mainland China.

Is UL certification required for LED lights?

Not by federal law for consumer sale, but in practice yes for installed fixtures. The National Electrical Code, electrical inspectors, retailers and insurers expect NRTL listing, usually to UL 1598 for luminaires, UL 8750 for LED equipment or UL 1993 for self-ballasted lamps. Verify any listing in the certifier's online directory, because a test report alone is not a listing.

Is Guzhen really half of the world's lighting market?

That claim has not been substantiated. It comes from a China Daily article (October 2025) that gives no data source, and no official or academic source states China's or Guzhen's share of world lighting output. What can be documented is China's lighting export total of US$56.1 billion in 2024 and Zhongshan's output of more than RMB 100 billion a year.

LED lighting manufacturing in China