China's textile industry is undergoing a deep shift from manufacturing scale to brand value. The five ministries' joint 'Excellent Textile and Apparel Brand Cultivation Action Plan (2026-2028)' sets a clear target: cultivate at least 25 excellent brands within three years, with a supporting evaluation index system. This marks a transition from experience-driven to quantified brand management. Sun Ruizhe, president of CNTAC, emphasized that the target is not about numbers but about channeling resources to brands with technical depth and cultural heritage. Public data shows China's textile export volume leads globally, but brand premium remains low—industry profit margins hover around 4.5%, versus over 10% for international peers. The plan aims to close this gap institutionally.
Policy Details and Quantitative Goals
The plan's core innovation lies in two quantifications: a clear brand count of 25 and a supporting evaluation index system. CNTAC will implement six measures: establishing an incubation mechanism with dynamic management, conducting brand diagnostic services, promoting brand stories, building public service platforms, integrating cultural tourism, and enhancing talent training. For industrial clusters like Shengze and Keqiao, this is not just a brand upgrade window but could reshape regional competition—companies with cultural IP and technical patents will benefit first. Sun noted that brand building requires 'tech innovation for quality foundation and Eastern aesthetics for cultural depth,' implying future evaluation will weigh R&D investment and design originality heavily.
Practical Impact on Buyers and Exporters
For procurement, the plan makes brand screening more transparent. Buyers can now use the official evaluation index to compare suppliers—those with 'excellent brand' labels typically offer better quality and delivery stability. For exporters, the cultural tourism integration and brand story promotion reduce overseas market entry costs. CNTAC plans to translate brand stories into multiple languages and promote them at international fairs, effectively providing small brands with a low-cost overseas marketing channel.
For Buyers - Prioritize suppliers in the 'excellent brand' incubation pool; they often outperform industry averages in quality control and delivery. Use the official evaluation index as a supplementary supplier assessment tool, focusing on R&D investment and design originality. Explore co-branding opportunities in cultural tourism projects to capture regional consumer premium.
For Exporters - Engage CNTAC's public service platforms for brand diagnostics and resource matching, reducing trial-and-error costs. Leverage the brand story program to translate technical patents or cultural heritage into narratives that resonate with overseas buyers. Invest in talent with global vision in design and marketing to align with brand upgrade needs.
Brand building is essentially trust accumulation. The plan's institutional framework and resource support will accelerate this process. For industry players, the key over the next three years is not chasing numbers but finding their own value anchor through tech and culture, even beyond the 25 slots.