China’s textile and apparel export sector has kicked off 2026 with a remarkable “red envelope performance”, posting double-digit growth in the first two months despite lingering global economic uncertainty and shifting supply chain trends. Latest customs data released on March 10 shows that the country’s total textile and garment exports reached $50.45 billion from January to February 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 17.6%, a jump of 22.1 percentage points compared with the same period last year, hitting a record high for the same period in history.
Broken down by category, textile exports stood at $25.57 billion, up 20.5% year on year, driven by strong demand for home textiles, industrial textiles and fabric materials from European and American markets. Apparel exports reached $24.87 billion, a year-on-year growth of 14.8%, with knitted garments and woven garments both maintaining steady growth. Industry analysts note that the robust growth is attributed to three key factors: the recovery of overseas consumer demand, the competitive advantage of China’s complete textile and apparel industrial chain, and the gradual stabilization of global logistics and shipping costs. Major export destinations including the United States, the European Union and ASEAN countries all saw double-digit growth in imports from China, while emerging markets in the Middle East and Latin America also became new growth drivers for Chinese apparel exports.
Industry insiders predict that if global consumer confidence continues to recover, China’s apparel export growth momentum is expected to remain stable in the first half of 2026, and high-value-added, functional and sustainable apparel products will become the core competitive products for export enterprises.