Photo shows China-made cotton-padded pantyhose. (Screenshot photo)

China-made cotton-padded pantyhose have swept the European market as the continent prepares for a colder winter due to energy shortages.

In Zhuji, Zhejiang Province, orders at some enterprises have been scheduled for May 2023.

Many European clients require warmer products, said Lu Huazhen, manager of a cotton-padded pantyhosemanufacturer. However, they preferred thin pantyhose before, Lu said.

According to Lu, sales have surpassed 30 million yuan (about $4.16million) in the first nine months, more than that of last year, with most growth recorded in Europe.

Liu Xuesong, general manager of a pantyhose manufacturer in Zhuji, said 3.6 million pairs of cotton-padded pantyhosehave been sold so far, much higher than the total number of three million of pairs last year.

A man surnamed Zhang from a cotton-padded pantyhose manufacturer said the company's export orders to Europe this year increased by 40 percent year-on-year. Products with new warming technology are particularly popular with customers.

Data from Ningbo Customs shows that from January to August, the city’s pantyhose export volume overseas reached 82.047 million yuan, an increase of 94.8 percent over the same period of last year. A total of 31.091 million yuan in sales comes from European orders, a year-on-year increase of 100.3 percent.

Except for cotton-padded pantyhose, other China-made products for keeping warm like heated blankets and heaters are also very popular in Europe.