$145.96 billion – that's the total export value of China's textile and apparel in the first half of 2026, a modest 1.4% year-on-year increase. Behind this seemingly flat number lies accelerated structural divergence and a sudden June export surge.
June Surge: Autumn/Winter Stocking Triggers 14.3% Month-on-Month Jump
June became the biggest highlight of the half-year. Monthly textile and apparel exports reached $29.27 billion, up 7.2% year-on-year and a sharp 14.3% month-on-month, marking the official start of overseas autumn/winter stocking. Textile exports hit $13.52 billion, surging 12.2% year-on-year; apparel exports reached $15.75 billion, up 3.2% year-on-year and 21% month-on-month. This rebound was no accident – overseas brands had largely completed inventory destocking, and combined with a temporary easing in Middle East tensions and lower shipping costs, buyers released concentrated replenishment orders.
In RMB terms, cumulative exports in H1 totaled 1,012.22 billion yuan, down 2.2% year-on-year, with exchange rate fluctuations pressuring profit margins. However, June exports in RMB reached 200.25 billion yuan, rising both year-on-year and month-on-month, with the fabric sector performing particularly well. Industry data shows that upstream intermediate goods like yarn and fabric demonstrated stronger order resilience than finished garments, directly reflecting overseas brands' current low-inventory, high-frequency replenishment strategy.
Market Divergence: US Shines, EU/Japan/Korea Remain Weak
Export data for the first five months reveals a sharply fragmented global demand landscape. The US market became the biggest growth driver in H1, with export growth to the US expanding 15 percentage points year-on-year. The meeting of Chinese and US leaders stabilized bilateral relations expectations, and combined with completed brand destocking, buyers increased procurement from China.
In contrast, traditional markets like the EU, Japan, and South Korea continued to weaken. The EU is mired in high energy costs and inflation, depressing consumer willingness to buy apparel; ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea are constrained by regional tensions and rising energy prices, reducing their imports from China. This pattern of "bright in the East but dim elsewhere" forces exporters to accelerate market diversification.
Industrial Chain Advantage: Upstream Intermediate Goods Grow 3.5%, Garment OEM Under Pressure
In H1, textile exports reached $73 billion, up 3.5% year-on-year; apparel exports were $72.96 billion, down 0.7%. The gap is only $40 million, but the growth directions are opposite. Sub-category data reveals more: yarn exports grew 6.6%, fabric exports edged down 0.5%, textile products exports rose 2.6%, while apparel and accessories exports fell 1.6%.
This divergence stems from China's complete textile industrial chain – from chemical fiber, spinning, dyeing to finished products, offering delivery efficiency and product quality hard to replicate elsewhere. Overseas brands are reducing large garment orders and instead sourcing yarn and fabric more frequently, valuing the flexibility and stability of China's supply chain. In contrast, the garment OEM track has low barriers, faces international capacity diversion, and severe price competition, making continued pressure hard to reverse in the short term.
H2 Outlook: External Challenges Remain, but Foundation Holds
The World Bank warns the global economy will continue to face triple pressures: energy price hikes, high inflation, and tightening monetary policies abroad. Weak recovery in European and US consumer demand, high production costs, and fragmented global trade patterns will keep testing industry players.
But the June rebound has injected confidence and pointed a clear direction for transformation. The era of relying on low prices and volume for export is over. A complete industrial chain, product innovation, and global diversification are the core tools to navigate the cycle. Uncertainty persists in H2, but backed by China's deep textile industry foundation, companies that adjust product and market strategies in time can still ensure stable export performance.