China’s Industrial Textiles Industry Stays Stable in Jan-Jul 2025: Production, Economy & Exports
Sep 11, 2025
Against a backdrop of high global economic uncertainty-with the World Bank projecting global trade growth to slow from 3.4% in 2024 to 1.8% in 2025-China's industrial textiles sector has maintained steady performance in production, economic returns, and exports during the first seven months of 2025. Domestically, the economy has shown resilience with "stable progress and structural optimization," providing a solid foundation for the industry to navigate external headwinds. Below is a detailed breakdown of key metrics and trends.
1. Production: Nonwovens Lead Growth; Tire Cord Fabric Dips Slightly
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, production across large-scale industrial textiles enterprises remained generally stable, with clear divergence between product categories:
- Nonwovens: Output rose by 5.9% year-on-year-a standout performance driven by demand from sectors like healthcare, hygiene, and construction. Nonwovens are widely used in disposable medical supplies, baby diapers, and construction membranes, where their versatility and cost-effectiveness keep demand consistent.
- Tire Cord Fabric: Production fell by 0.7% year-on-year. This slight decline is linked to slower growth in the global automotive industry (a major end market for tire cord fabric) amid high interest rates and reduced consumer spending on vehicles.
2. Economic Performance: Revenue Rises, Profits Narrow Decline
For large-scale enterprises in the sector, January-July brought mixed economic results:
- Revenue: Total operating income increased by 1.9% year-on-year, reflecting steady demand for industrial textile products in both domestic and export markets.
- Profits: Total profits dropped by 2.9% year-on-year, but the decline narrowed compared to earlier this year-signaling gradual improvement in cost control and operational efficiency.
- Operating Profit Margin: Stood at 3.8%, down 0.2 percentage points year-on-year, as enterprises still face pressure from raw material costs and global price competition.
Breakdown by Subsector
Different segments of the industrial textiles industry showed varied performance, highlighting where growth and challenges lie:
| Subsector | Operating Income YoY | Profit YoY | Operating Profit Margin | Margin Change YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonwovens | +3.2% | +7.6% | 2.8% | +0.1pp |
| Ropes, Cables & Cordage | +11.5% | +3.2% | 3.4% | -0.3pp |
| Textile Belts & Tire Cord Fabric | +5.5% | +16.2% | 3.2% | +0.3pp |
| Tarpaulins & Canvas | -3.9% | -16.6% | 4.5% | -0.7pp |
| Other Industrial Textiles (e.g., filtration, geotextiles) | -1.9% | -11.6% | 5.7% (highest in the industry) | -0.6pp |
Notably, nonwovens and textile belts/tire cord fabric were bright spots-their profit growth outpaced the industry average, driven by strong demand for medical nonwovens and automotive belts. Tarpaulins & canvas, however, faced significant profit declines, likely due to weak demand from the construction and logistics sectors.
3. Listed Companies: Steady Growth Driven by Key Segments
Listed enterprises in the industrial textiles sector delivered solid results in H1 2025:
- 35 industry-related listed companies saw 11.2% year-on-year growth in operating income and 21.2% year-on-year growth in profits-outperforming the broader sector.
- Growth Drivers: Nonwovens and medical & hygiene textiles companies led the recovery, with rising demand for disposable hygiene products and medical protective materials.
- Challenges: Companies focused on tarpaulins and transportation textiles (e.g., automotive interior textiles) faced greater profit pressure, tied to sluggish end-market demand.
4. International Trade: Exports Rise 2.7%; "Belt and Road" Markets Shine
Customs data (based on 8-digit HS codes) shows the industry's export and import performance remained resilient:
- Total Exports: Reached $24.89 billion, up 2.7% year-on-year, as industrial textiles (a "functional" category) proved less vulnerable to global consumer spending cuts than apparel.
- Total Imports: Hit $3.14 billion, up 3.8% year-on-year, reflecting domestic demand for high-end raw materials and specialized equipment.
Top Export Products
Several product categories stood out for their export performance:
- Coated Industrial Fabrics: The largest export product, with $2.99 billion in shipments (+0.7% YoY)-used in agriculture (greenhouses), construction (waterproof membranes), and transportation.
- Nonwovens: Jumped to the second-largest export category, with $2.46 billion (+5.9% YoY) and 962,000 tons (+12.4% YoY) in volume-driven by demand for hygiene nonwovens (e.g., diaper materials) in emerging markets.
- Disposable Hygiene Products (diapers, sanitary napkins): Grew rapidly at 14.4% YoY to $2.23 billion-ranking among the fastest-growing export segments.
- Wipes: Wet wipes exports surged 16.4% YoY to $610 million, while dry wipes fell 2.8% to $960 million-showing strong preference for convenient, hygienic wet wipe products globally.
Key Export Markets
- Top 3 Destinations: The U.S. ($2.97 billion, -5.4% YoY), Vietnam ($1.87 billion, +2.8% YoY), and Japan ($1.28 billion, +1.8% YoY). The U.S. decline reflects weaker consumer spending and trade policy uncertainties.
- "Belt and Road" (B&R) Countries: Exports reached $14.91 billion, up 5.2% YoY, accounting for 59.9% of total exports. B&R markets-especially in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa-have become the industry's core growth engine, thanks to infrastructure development (driving demand for geotextiles) and rising hygiene awareness (boosting nonwovens).
What This Means for Industry Players
The sector's stability amid global headwinds underscores the value of industrial textiles as a "defensive" category-less tied to fashion trends and more to essential needs (hygiene, construction, healthcare). To capitalize on growth opportunities, enterprises should:
Prioritize B&R markets, where infrastructure and hygiene demand is rising.
Focus on high-growth segments like nonwovens, disposable hygiene products, and filtration textiles.
Optimize cost structures to narrow profit declines, especially in slower-growth segments like tarpaulins.
For businesses in the industrial textiles supply chain-from nonwovens producers to coated fabric manufacturers-high-quality raw materials are critical to meeting demand. Our polyester and nylon fibers (including polyester filament, polyester staple fiber, and nylon filament) are widely used in key growth segments:
Polyester staple fiber is a core input for hygiene nonwovens (e.g., diaper topsheets) and filtration textiles, supporting their export growth.
Polyester and nylon filaments enhance the durability of coated fabrics and tire cord fabric-key products for B&R infrastructure projects.
Our fibers are engineered to meet the functional needs of industrial textiles (e.g., strength for ropes, softness for hygiene nonwovens), helping you stay competitive in fast-growing markets. For tailored fiber solutions or samples, feel free to reach out.
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