The 2018 Russia World Cup is less than two months away and this factory in southeast China is churning out merchandise.

It takes at least three days of filing, polishing, and decorating to transform hunks of zinc alloy into a replica of soccer's biggest prize: the FIFA World Cup trophy.

"All replica World Cups must be limited to 15 cm in height. In other words, all cup replicas higher than 15 cm in markets are definitely fake products that haven't been certified by FIFA," Perry Chou, vice-president of Wagon International Co. Ltd, said.

The factory's operator, Wagon Group, takes strict rules on weight, height, and how much of a trophy is made of gold very seriously.

The company says it took years of talks with FIFA, an application and an undisclosed fee to be certified to sell Russia World Cup trophies.

This is all happening as trade tension rises between China and U.S. under President Donald Trump.

However, the company thinks that passion for the game from hardcore fans will shelter them from the pain of potential US tariffs.

"I think it is the most beautiful trophy in the world! Every World Cup year, ever since 1998, for each one I've bought a replica gold trophy," Wang Boqian, the equipment engineer, said.

For now, at an official FIFA story in Beijing, its mascots are the big sellers.

But they think trophies will pick up closer to kickoff in Russia – some of the biggest replicas with a price tag of nearly $900 U.S. dollars.