Tariff fears are hurting World Cup merchandise orders at Shang Yabing's Chinese knitwear factory, where racks of scarves bear the logos of national teams from Ireland to Tanzania.

Manufacturers in China's export hub Yiwu would normally already be inundated with World Cup orders ahead of next summer's football tournament, this time hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

But a rollercoaster ride of a trade war between Washington and Beijing is making international buyers think twice before placing orders with companies like Shang's Yiwu Wells Knitting Product.

When AFP visited his bustling workrooms, Shang was overseeing rows of colleagues adding the finishing touches to a plethora of sports-themed accessories.

"We've been in this industry for over 10 years, and we've produced W

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