China’s textile and apparel export market share significantly improved

According to the 2021 World Trade Statistics Review issued by the World Trade Organization, due to the impact of the pandemic, the world trade in goods and services decreased from USD 24 trillion in 2019 to USD 22 trillion in 2020, including goods trade and service trade at USD 17 trillion and USD 5 trillion respectively, both fell USD 1 trillion from 2019. In 2020, the volume of trade in goods decreased by 5.3 percent year-on-year. Due to the country’s implementation of comprehensive pandemic prevention and control measures and the rapid recovery of the supply chain, the country’s global exports of goods totalled USD 2,323.0 billion in 2020 (excluding exports from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, the same below), accounting for 13 percent of global merchandise exports, an increase of 1 percentage point from 2019.

In 2020, the trade value of personal protective equipment, including masks, increased by 47.3 percent year-onyear. According to the data disclosed by the 2021 World Trade Statistics Review, under the background of surging consumption demand for pandemic prevention materials, the global textile and apparel export in 2020 was USD 802.4 billion, a slight increase of 0.5 percent yearon-year, among which the textile export was USD 354.4 billion, a year-onyear increase of 16 percent, 21.2 percentage points higher than the growth rate of all industrial products; the apparel exports was USD 448 billion, down 9.1 percent year-on-year. In 2020, the import amount of global textile and apparel was USD 832.7 billion, down 4.5 percent year-on-year. Among them, the textile import was USD 359 billion, up 7.1 percent yearon-year; the apparel imports was USD 473.7 billion, down 11.7 percent year-on-year.

China’s textile industry takes the lead in restoring supply with the advantage of a complete industrial system in the relatively stable macro environment. In other countries and regions, the supply chain is blocked from time to time due to the pandemic, but China’s textile and apparel supply has remained stable, and the proportion of export in the world has significantly increased, reflecting the stability and efficiency of China’s textile and apparel supply chain. In 2020, China’s export of textile and apparel was USD 296 billion, only slightly lower than the historical peak of USD 298.3 billion in 2014, accounting for 36.9 percent of the total value of global textile and apparel export, ranking first in the world, 3 percentage points higher than that in 2019, and the highest proportion since 2016. Among them, China’s textile exports achieved USD 154 billion, reaching the largest export scale in history, with a year-on-year growth of 28.8 percent, accounting for 43.5 percent of the total value of global textile exports, while the market shares of other major textile exporting countries and regions all declined. China’s apparel exports were USD 142 billion, down 6.3 percent year-onyear, but the decline of apparel exports from major apparel processing countries in South Asia was more obvious. As a result, China’s apparel exports accounted for 31.6 percent of the global total, up 0.9 percentage points compared with 2019.

Thee ranking of the top 3 textile and apparel import and export countries and regions is relatively stable, while the ranking of the remaining countries and regions is slightly adjusted. In terms of export, the output of textiles and apparel in Southeast Asia and South Asia has declined due to the pandemic, and the overall export share has decreased. Only Vietnam’s apparel export share has increased by 0.1 percentage points. In terms of imports, the share of textile and apparel imports from the EU, the U.S. and Japan all increased due to the substantial increase in imports of antipandemic materials.

Southeast Asia

Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian country among the top 10 textile exporters, with its textile and apparel exports both rising. In 2020, Vietnam exported USD 39 billion of textile and apparel, accounting for 4.9 percent of the global textile and apparel export, slightly down 0.1 percentage points compared with 2019.

Malaysia ranks seventh among the top 10 apparel exporters. In 2020, apparel exports amounted to USD 10 billion, accounting for 2.2 percent of global apparel exports, 1 percentage point lower than that in 2019.

Indonesia’s apparel exports fell to the 10th. In 2020, apparel exports amounted to USD 8 billion, accounting for 1.7 percent of global apparel exports, almost the same as in 2019.

In 2019, Cambodia ranked 10th among the top 10 apparel exporters. In 2020, due to the decline in exports, Cambodia did not enter the top 10.

South Asia

India’s textile exports remain in third place. Apparel exports were overtaken by Turkey, which fell first place to sixth. In 2020, India exported USD 28 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 3.5 percent of the global textile and apparel export, 0.8 percentage points lower than that in 2019. Among them, textile export share decreased 1.4 percentage points, apparel export share decreased 0.6 percentage points.

Bangladesh was overtaken by Vietnam in apparel exports, falling one place to fourth. Bangladesh exported USD 28 billion of apparel in 2020, accounting for 6.3 percent of global apparel exports, 0.4 percentage points lower than that in 2019.

Pakistan’s textile export volume equalled that of Taiwan, moving up one place to eighth place. In 2020, Pakistan exported USD 7 billion worth of textiles, accounting for 2 percent of global textile export, 0.5 percentage points lower than that in 2019.

East Asia (See above for Chinese exports)

Japan ranks 10th among the top 10 textile exporters; textile imports rose one place to the fifth place, apparel imports remained the third place, the overall import share rose slightly. In 2020, Japan exported USD 6 billion of textiles, accounting for 1.6 percent of global textile export, 0.5 percentage points lower than that in 2019. Japan imported USD 38 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 4.6 percent of the world’s textile and apparel imports, up 0.2 percentage points from 2019.

Korea was overtaken by Vietnam in textile exports, falling one place to seventh. It ranks 9th in the top 10 textile importers, and 6th in apparel imports, up 1 place. In 2020, South Korea exported USD 8 billion of textiles, accounting for 2.2 percent of the global textile export, 0.8 percentage points lower than that in 2019; South Korea imported USD 16 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 1.9 percent of global textile and apparel imports, the same as in 2019.

Other countries in Asia (by geographical location)

Turkey’s textile and apparel exports rose one place to rank fourth and fifth respectively. In 2020, Turkey exported USD 27 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 3.4 percent of the total value of global textile and apparel exports, 0.1 percentage points lower than that in 2019. Among them, textile export share decreased by 0.6 percentage points, apparel export share increased by 0.1 percentage points.

European region

Thee EU maintained second place in textile and apparel exports and first place in imports. In 2020, the EU exported textiles and apparel worth USD 189 billion, accounting for 23.6 percent of the global textile and apparel export, 1.8 percentage points lower than that in 2019. Thee EU imported USD 255 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 30.6 percent of global textile and apparel imports, up 2.2 percentage points from 2019.

The United Kingdom maintained its eighth place in apparel exports; driven by anti-pandemic materials, textile imports surpassed Bangladesh, ranking up one place to sixth. Apparel imports remained in fourth place. In 2020, Thee UK exported USD 8 billion of apparel, accounting for 1.9 percent of global apparel exports, 0.1 percentage points higher than that in 2019. Thee UK imported USD 37 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 4.4 percent of the global total, up 0.5 percentage points from 2019.

Russia’s apparel imports fell one place to 10th. In 2020, Russia imported USD 8 billion of apparel, accounting for 1.6 percent of global apparel imports, 0.1 percentage points higher than that in 2019.

North America

Thee U.S. was overtaken by Turkey in textile exports, falling first place to fifth. In 2020, the U.S. exported USD 11 billion of textiles, accounting for 3.2 percent of global textile exports, 1.2 percentage points lower than that in 2019. Thee U.S. imported USD 127 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 15.3 percent of the global total, 0.7 percentage points higher than that in 2019.

Canada ranks eighth among the top 10 textile importers. Apparel imports rose one place to fifth. In 2020, Canada imported USD 16 billion of textiles and apparel, accounting for 1.9 percent of the world’s textile and apparel imports, 0.1 percentage points higher than that in 2019.

In 2019, Mexico ranked 10th in textile imports and was not in the top 10 in textile imports in 2020.