China’s textile and apparel exports reached 91.13 billion US dollars from January to April 2026, a year-on-year increase of 0.8%. Of the total, textile exports stood at 46.896 billion US dollars, up 2.3%. Intermediate products such as yarns and fabrics posted strong export resilience. The trade surplus in the first quarter hit 61.85 billion US dollars, rising by 0.3% year on year. Amid escalating global trade frictions and sluggish external demand, China’s textile exports have demonstrated remarkable resilience and competitiveness.
The market structure keeps optimizing, with emerging markets emerging as a major bright spot. From January to April, exports to Africa surged 22.7% year on year, those to Latin America grew by 4.3%, and exports to Russia jumped sharply by 49.1%. In April, exports to the United States rose 41.8% year on year, while exports to the European Union turned positive from decline. A diversified market pattern has basically taken shape, effectively reducing reliance on single markets and associated risks.
The mix of export products continues to upgrade, with the share of high-value-added, functional and eco-friendly products climbing steadily. New products including recycled polyester, bio-based fibers, graphene fabrics and smart textiles recorded an export growth rate of over 20%, emerging as a new driving force for export expansion. High-end home textiles, branded apparel and technical textiles also delivered solid export performance with notably improved product premium capacity.
Industry analysts predict that with the gradual recovery of the global economy, continuous benefits from the RCEP and deepening economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s textile and apparel exports are expected to exceed 300 billion US dollars in 2026. The sector will maintain high growth for the seventh consecutive year and remain the world’s largest exporter of textiles and apparel.
