One in five sweaters worldwide comes from Dalang, Dongguan. This industrial hub, with an annual trade volume exceeding 72 billion yuan and garment output of over 900 million pieces, hosted the 95th International Wool Textile Organization (IWTO) Congress on June 24. As global attention turns to this Pearl River Delta town, the event signals more than regional economic resilience—it marks a collective recalibration of the entire wool supply chain amid green transitions and geopolitical shifts.
Industrial Coordinates: Why Dalang Matters Globally
Dalang’s woolen industry began with OEM production four decades ago and has evolved into a complete ecosystem spanning raw material processing, design, R&D, and trade. Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, revealed a telling statistic: China hosts the world’s largest wool processing capacity, and Dalang represents the most emblematic export terminal within this system.
What matters most is not output volume but Dalang’s shifting role in the value chain. Once a terminal executor of the “world factory,” it now undertakes higher-order functions such as standard-setting, green transformation, and brand incubation. The congress’s location itself serves as an official endorsement of Dongguan’s evolution from manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing.
Green Paper Launch: An Industry Counteroffensive for Narrative Control
The global launch of the IWTO Wool Green Paper was a centerpiece of the congress. This initiative is more than a technical manual—it is a systematic response to public misconceptions. Dr. Paul Swan stated bluntly that existing data exaggerates wool’s environmental impact, and a generation of urban youth, exposed to biased information, holds negative views of animal husbandry.
This reveals a “perception war” facing the wool industry. The Green Paper aims to establish unified carbon footprint accounting standards and durability metrics, using scientific data to demonstrate wool’s low-carbon, circular advantages as a natural fiber. Currently, only a few companies are involved; future steps include customizing standards by production region and building a natural fiber industry alliance. For buyers, this means more transparent environmental labeling for wool products, but potentially higher compliance costs.
Supply Chain Restructuring: From Efficiency to Value Alignment
Another key signal from the congress is that the global wool supply chain is shifting from cost-driven to value-consensus models. IWTO President Klaus Steger noted that wool is not just a material but carries trade, political, and environmental dimensions.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization offered a micro-level perspective: behind every wool fiber lies a farming family tending livestock and preserving land. This approach of connecting producers, industry leaders, and policymakers is reshaping collaboration logic. For Chinese wool enterprises, the era of relying solely on processing advantages is fading. Future competitiveness hinges on participation in standard-setting, brand storytelling, and green certification frameworks.
Youth Power: The Hidden Variable of Industry Continuity
The congress featured a dedicated wool youth program where dozens of young representatives from various countries introduced their businesses. This seemingly “soft” arrangement underscores a critical sustainability issue: talent succession. The wool industry globally faces an aging workforce, and attracting youth requires breaking the stereotype of an “ancient craft.” By building cross-border networks and reshaping industry perceptions, the program aims to show newcomers that wool is not just a craft but a composite industry involving technology, environmental protection, and global trade.