China’s Textile and Apparel Exports Grow 1% Year-on-Year in January–May

According to the latest express report from the General Administration of Customs, China’s total textile and apparel exports reached USD 116.67 billion from January to May 2025, registering a 1.0% year-on-year increase. Of this, textile exports amounted to USD 58.48 billion, up 2.5%, while apparel exports totaled USD 58.2 billion, down 0.5% compared to the same period last year.

Measured in RMB terms, total textile and apparel exports for the period were RMB 838.33 billion, reflecting a 2.1% year-on-year growth. Among them, textile exports stood at RMB 420.14 billion, up 3.7%, and apparel exports reached RMB 418.19 billion, a modest increase of 0.6%.

Currently, textile exports continue to grow steadily, while apparel exports remain under pressure, amid a fragmented international market and rising external uncertainties. Facing challenges such as the realignment of global trade dynamics, escalating China–U.S. trade frictions, and increasingly stringent green trade barriers, China’s textile foreign trade enterprises must enhance their adaptability to the complex external environment and high-standard trade rules. Efforts should be made to improve the stability and flexibility of industrial and supply chains, accelerate product structure optimization, and climb higher in the global value chain.

On the basis of consolidating key markets such as Europe and the United States, enterprises should further focus on strategic regions like RCEP member countries and Belt and Road Initiative partners. Leveraging their own resource advantages and market characteristics, they should gradually improve distribution networks and local service capabilities, enhance market responsiveness, and strengthen comprehensive support systems. Meanwhile, they must seize the opportunities presented by the global digital economy transformation and actively explore the integration of new business models such as cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouses, in order to foster new drivers of foreign trade and solidify the internal foundation for export growth.

Additionally, according to the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles, tariff adjustments have led to another surge in textile and apparel exports to the U.S. Based on the latest customs data, China’s textile and apparel exports in May reached USD 26.21 billion, marking a 0.6% year-on-year increase and an 8.4% month-on-month growth, with apparel exports contributing most of the momentum.

In May alone, apparel exports totaled USD 13.58 billion, registering a 3% year-on-year increase, reversing from a previous decline, and a 17% increase compared to April