One out of every five sweaters worldwide is produced in Dalan Town, Dongguan, Guangdong. This wool textile cluster, with an annual garment output exceeding 900 million pieces and a full-industry-chain trade volume surpassing 72 billion yuan, hosted the opening of the 95th IWTO Congress on June 24. Representatives from over 20 countries gathered for in-depth discussions on green transformation, global supply chain collaboration, and high-quality development in the wool industry.
Green Transformation and the Battle for Narrative
A central agenda item was the global launch of the IWTO Wool Green Paper. This document is seen as a key tool for the industry to address environmental challenges. According to publicly available industry data, the wool sector faces an awkward reality: existing research is accused of exaggerating wool's negative environmental impact, leading to bias among younger urban consumers against animal husbandry. The Green Paper aims to establish unified carbon footprint accounting standards and a full-chain traceability system, using scientific data to reshape wool's image as low-carbon and circular.
This signals a shift from reactive defense to proactive narrative control. Subsequent efforts will include region-specific carbon standards and joint campaigns with natural fiber alliances. For buyers, this could mean stricter compliance requirements but also opportunities for premium pricing on differentiated natural fiber products.
The Dalan Model: From OEM to Global Innovation Hub
After over four decades of development, Dalan's wool industry has evolved from OEM processing to a complete ecosystem covering raw material processing, design, manufacturing, and trade. Local authorities have explicitly committed to smart, green, and brand-oriented transformation, while investing in new industrial platforms. Hosting this year's congress is seen as recognition of Dalan's manufacturing strength and transformation potential.
Data shows Dalan exports sweaters to over 100 countries, accounting for a significant global market share. This deep integration into global supply chains has demonstrated resilience amid trade protectionism. For factories, this means accelerating investments in smart manufacturing and green processes to maintain competitiveness in international orders.
Supply Chain Collaboration and Standardization
Another key message from the congress is the urgent need for a unified 'industry language' for the global wool sector. Multiple speakers stressed building collaborative systems through shared standards. China, as the world's largest wool processing capacity holder, imports large volumes of raw wool and exports finished products, with its smart and green manufacturing practices increasingly powering global supply chains.
Representatives from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization added a human perspective, noting that every strand of wool comes from a farming family. This reminds the industry that supply chain collaboration involves not just technology and data but also respect for producers at the source. For foreign trade companies, this means factoring in the human and ecological background of production regions when making sourcing decisions, to meet growing consumer demand for transparency.
Youth Engagement and Industry Heritage
A dedicated session for the Wool Youth Project saw dozens of young representatives from various countries introduce themselves and their work. The project aims to build cross-border networks for newcomers, emphasizing that wool is not just an ancient craft but a career worth passing down through generations. This design reflects industry concerns about talent gaps and suggests that over the next few years, younger professionals will bring more digital and sustainable innovation.