China’s exports of textiles and apparel in 2022 rose by 2.6 per cent year on year. Exports of textiles were up by two per cent year on year. Exports of apparel were up by 3.2 per cent year on year.

The world is undergoing changes of a scale unseen in a century, and the international economic and trade environment is turbulent and unstable. In the face of the complex and fluid international situation, China’s foreign trade showed strong resilience and rose by 7.7 per cent year on year in 2022. China maintained its position as the largest trader in goods for the sixth consecutive year.The export growth last year experienced fast growth at first and then slowed down.

Since the third quarter, weak overseas orders and market demand have put pressure on the foreign trade of China’s textiles and apparel. In the fourth quarter, China’s textile and apparel exports recorded double-digit negative growth. In December 2022 alone, China’s textile and apparel exports were down by 16 per cent year on year. Textile exports were down by 22 per cent year on year. Apparel exports declined by ten per cent year on year.

However, challenges and opportunities coexist in 2023. With the adjustment of China’s entry-and-exit policies, the channels for textile and apparel enterprises to obtain overseas orders will be fully and rapidly restored.