According to the General Administration of Customs, China’s textile and apparel exports in the first three quarters amounted to US$221.69 billion, reflecting a slight year-on-year decrease of 0.3%. Textile and garment export performance divergence intensified. Among them, textile exports totaled US$106.48 billion, rising by 2.1% year-on-year, while apparel exports reached US$115.21 billion, decreasing by 2.5% year-on-year. In the current complex foreign trade environment, clothing exports are under increased pressure.

In CNY-denominated terms, textile and garment exports totaled 1.6 trillion yuan in the first three quarters, marking a 0.6% year-on-year increase. Specifically, textile exports were 764.15 billion yuan, up by 3% year-on-year; apparel exports amounted to 826.85 billion yuan, decreasing by 1.6% year-on-year.

Figure: Monthly Statistics of China’s Textiles and Apparel Exports in the First Three Quarters, 2025

This year, amid high uncertainty in the global trade environment, China’s textile enterprises actively promote the optimization of market structure and continue expanding into Asia, Europe, the “Global South” countries, and other emerging markets. They are gradually building a more resilient and diversified layout of the global market. From January to August, the textile industry recorded positive export growth in nearly seventy % of the world’s countries and regions. During this period, exports in nearly 70% of countries and regions, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Cambodia, Nigeria, and others, performed well. This effectively offsets the impact of the decline in U.S. market share and provides strong support for the smooth operation of the industry.

According to the monthly data for September, China’s textile and apparel exports amounted to US$24.42 billion, representing a year-on-year decline of 1.4%, indicating a trend of structural differentiation. The performance of textile exports remains strong, reaching US$11.97 billion—a 6.4% increase year-on-year—and achieving a relatively higher level than in the same period of previous years. This reflects the strong development of China's textile industry supply chain. Meanwhile, apparel exports continue to experience downward pressure, totaling US$12.45 billion for the month, an 8% decrease year-on-year, primarily due to weak demand in certain markets and disruptions caused by U.S. tariff policies.

Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, China’s textile and apparel exports are expected to continue fluctuating and slow down. It is recommended that enterprises should further strengthen their forward-looking research and judgment on the international situation and major market demand, and improve their risk warning capabilities and supply chain flexibility. While actively expanding into diversified international markets, Chinese enterprises should also seize the opportunity of domestic consumption upgrading, accelerate optimization of product structures and channel efficiency, enhance the synergistic ability of internal and external markets, and systematically build a sustainable growth path in an uncertain environment.

Source: CHINA TEXTILE LEADER Express