Chinese Textile Exports Remain Resilient Despite Tariffs
China’s textile sector has shown resilience in early 2025, maintaining stable export performance despite continued U.S. tariffs, according to official data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
From January to April 2025, the value-added output of textile enterprises with annual revenues exceeding 20 million yuan (approximately US$ 2.8 million) rose by 4.2% year-on-year. However, overall industry revenues dipped slightly, with textile companies generating a total of 1.49 trillion yuan (US$ 207 billion), a marginal 0.5% decrease from the same period in 2024.
Export activity remained steady, with combined textile and garment shipments reaching US$ 90.5 billion during the four-month period, reflecting a modest 1.1% increase year-on-year.
This comes amid a broader downturn in Chinese exports to the United States, which saw a sharp 43% year-on-year drop in May 2025, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
U.S. trade officials have raised concerns that some Chinese goods may be circumventing direct tariffs by being routed through third-party countries in South Asia. While China’s official data underscores the sector’s stability, questions remain over how export channels are adapting to ongoing geopolitical and trade pressures.
