China’s textile export performance in 2025 reveals a clear divergence between upstream materials and finished products, underscoring a structural shift in the country’s role in global supply chains.
According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC): Yarns, fabrics, and textile articles: stable, resilient
- Exports (Jan–Dec 2025): USD 142.585 billion
- Year-on-year change: +0.5%
- December alone: USD 12.58 billion
This category posted the strongest performance within China’s textile and fashion sector, showing far greater stability than fashion-linked segments. The data confirm China’s continued dominance in industrial and intermediate textile inputs, where scale, infrastructure, and technical capability remain difficult to replicate.
Clothing and accessories: clear contraction
- Exports in 2025: USD 151.18 billion
- Year-on-year change: –5%
- 2024 comparison: >USD 159 billion
Finished garments were significantly more exposed to weak demand in key markets, particularly Europe and the United States, where consumer spending remained cautious and retailers focused on inventory correction rather than replenishment.
Footwear: sharp decline
- Exports in 2025: USD 41.553 billion
- Year-on-year change: –11.3%
- 2024 comparison: USD 46.86 billion
Footwear recorded the steepest fall among major categories, reflecting intense price competition, sourcing diversification, and softer discretionary demand.
The broader picture: upstream strength, downstream pressure
Overall, sector-level analyses estimate a 2.4% decline in China’s combined textile and fashion exports in 2025, with:
- Greater pressure on apparel and footwear
- Relative resilience in yarns, fabrics, and textile articles
Industry assessments point to three reinforcing factors behind this pattern:
- Weaker global demand, especially in Western consumer markets
- Inventory adjustment by international retailers after years of volatility
- Rising competition from alternative sourcing countries in apparel manufacturing
Strategic implications for 2026
The 2025 data reinforce a trend already visible over several years: China is consolidating its position as the world’s leading supplier of textile materials, while its apparel sector is being forced to adapt through:
- Higher value-added products
- Market diversification
- Reduced dependence on mass-volume, low-margin garments
In short, China’s textile engine remains strong, but its fashion export model is entering a phase of recalibration as global sourcing becomes more fragmented and demand more selective heading into 2026.
