Iron pans made in Jiaxian county in Pingdingshan in Henan province attracted contracts worth millions of dollars at the 109th China Export Commodities Fair, also known as the Canton Fair.

At the fair on May 18, contracts worth $6 million were signed for the famed iron pans by representatives of more than 30 countries, including Russia, France, Germany, the United States and South Korea.

Jiaxian has been making iron wares since the 1980s, and has invested more than 10 million yuan in the infrastructure for an iron cookware industrial zone. The China Hardware Association recently honored Jiaxian as “the first village of iron pans in China”.

Jiaxian-based Henan Huabang Cooking Utensil Co Ltd is the country’s largest iron pan manufacturing company. To ensure its leading position in the industry, the company established a research institute in July 2003.. More than 60 staff members are involved in research, and more than 4 million yuan is invested in the research institute each year.

Edited by Nathan Place