The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles announced at the 29th China East China Import and Export Commodities Fair that opened in Shanghai on the 1st. China's textile and apparel imports and exports have grown steadily for two consecutive years, and the international competitive advantages of upstream products have been prominent.

In 2018, China's textile and apparel exports were 276.73 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 3.7% over the previous year. Among them, textile exports were US$119.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.1%; clothing exports were US$157.63 billion, a slight increase of 0.3%.

Cao Jiachang, President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles, said that in 2018, the textile and apparel industry experienced a growth in exports of upstream products and a slowdown in exports of downstream products. The relevant industrial chains of the surrounding low-cost clothing producing countries are incomplete, and the demand for Chinese yarns and fabrics has increased.

According to customs statistics, in 2018, China's exports of yarns and fabrics to Vietnam and Bangladesh increased by 19.3% and 21.5% respectively over the previous year; textile and apparel exports to ASEAN increased by 11.7% year-on-year, increasing in major markets The fastest, showing that ASEAN is becoming an important undertaking for the transfer of China's garment industry.

According to analysis, the driving force of China's textile and apparel industry to promote the globalization strategy is mainly to find depressions in the global value chain to adapt to changes in international market orders. Related models mainly include overseas investment and establishment of factories, looking for strategic partners, opening branches to realize product display and overseas orders, and accelerating the construction of overseas warehouses, etc., gradually appearing as organizers and managers in the global production supply chain.

In 2018, China's textile and apparel exports to the three traditional markets of the European Union, the United States and Japan all maintained growth, with growth rates of 1.5%, 8% and 2.7% respectively. Exports to markets along the “Belt and Road” have maintained growth for three consecutive years, with an increase of 5.3% in 2018.

According to reports, in recent years, facing the consumption upgrade demand in the domestic market, the state has repeatedly lowered tariffs on imported goods, which has promoted a substantial increase in imports of consumer clothing. In 2018, China's textile and apparel imports were US$26.14 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.4%. Among them, textile imports increased by 3% and clothing imports increased by 14.8%.

The China Fair, known as the "First Spring Festival" of China's foreign trade, is China's largest regional foreign trade exhibition. This year, more than 4,000 companies participated in the China Fair, including more than 3,500 domestic export companies. Clothing and apparel and textile fabrics are the two major categories of export commodities that the China Fair focuses on display.