China's Textile And Apparel Exports Reach $143.98 Billion in H1, Up 0.8% YoY

According to the latest statistics from the General Administration of Customs released today, China's textile industry maintained overall stability in foreign trade during the first half of this year despite mounting pressures. In U.S. dollar terms, the country's exports of textiles and apparel from January to June stood at $143.98 billion, a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 0.8%. Among this, textile exports reached $70.52 billion, up 1.8% YoY, while apparel exports slightly declined by 0.2% to $73.46 billion.

In RMB terms, total exports of textiles and apparel in H1 amounted to 1.03482 trillion yuan, rising 1.9% YoY. Specifically, textile exports grew 3% YoY to 506.81 billion yuan, and apparel exports increased 1% YoY to 528.01 billion yuan.

Since the start of this year, China's textile industry has faced a complex and challenging external environment, with significantly increased export pressures. Particularly after the second quarter, fluctuations were evident in exports to the U.S. due to frequent adjustments in U.S. trade policies. Customs data shows that China's textile and apparel exports to the U.S. dropped by approximately 20% YoY in April and May. However, supported by a complete industrial system, advanced manufacturing advantages, and the effectiveness of diversified international market layouts, the industry's reliance on a single market has continued to decline. Exports to developed economies such as the EU, Japan, and South Korea, as well as emerging markets including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Nigeria, have remained robust, demonstrating strong export resilience.

In June alone, China's textile and apparel exports to the global market reached $27.31 billion, a marginal decrease of 0.1% YoY (up 1.1% YoY in RMB terms). Among them, textile exports stood at $12.05 billion, down 1.6% YoY (down 0.3% YoY in RMB terms), while apparel exports rose 1.1% YoY to $15.27 billion (up 2.3% YoY in RMB terms).

Facing the current foreign trade situation, Chinese textile enterprises need to flexibly adjust their strategies. On one hand, they should prioritize market diversification as a key measure to enhance the security and resilience of foreign trade, continuously strengthening risk resistance capabilities. On the other hand, they need to focus on improving the resilience of their industrial chains and the added value of products, actively leverage new business forms and models, and accelerate the cultivation of new drivers for foreign trade growth.