China

People's Republic of China │ 中华人民共和国

China is the world's largest exporter of textiles, with annual export revenues of US$150 billion at last count and an annual share of GDP at 7.1 per cent. More than 8 million people are employed in the textile industry. All stages of textile production are found in China. Most of the raw materials come from national markets. Besides the export of mostly higher quality products, a large part of the production is for the national market.

Since China's accession to the World Trade Organization in December 2001, the expiration of the World Textile Agreement at the end of 2004, and the lifting of trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. and the EU a few years later, the Chinese textile and garment industry has experienced unprecedented growth. China rose to become the most important player in world trade for textiles and apparel and is not only an important trading partner of the USA and EU, but also of many countries in Asia and Africa.

Population

Total

1,448,471,000 (2022)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

12,720.2 (2022)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

79 (2021)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

7,840,000 (2022)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

70% (2017)

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

322,000 (enterprises) (2019)

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 323.34 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

9% (2022)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country Percentage of Exports
United States 16.0%
Japan 6.6%
Vietnam 5.8%
Hong Kong 4.0%
United Kingdom 3.8%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM)
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS)
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

All-China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU)
IndustriALL

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC)
China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textile and Apparel (CCCT)

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH FABRIC
Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE/ILO)
Responsible Supply Chains in Asia
Global Deal for Decent Work and Inclusive Growth
Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)
Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development (CSD)
Emerging Market Sustainability Dialogues (EMSD)
Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA)

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT)
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

 

Sources of data provided

  1. Population: https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/
  2. GDP Per Capita: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) | Data (worldbank.org)
  3. HDI: Country Insights | Human Development Reports (undp.org)
  4. Garment / Textile Workers:

    Textile: https://www.miit.gov.cn/gxsj/tjfx/xfpgy/fz/art/2023/art_69cb12cde9e84deb840b6089b23b00b1.html Garment: https://www.miit.gov.cn/gxsj/tjfx/xfpgy/fz/art/2023/art_50cd786f8fe649b1952b2707b1bda848.html

  5. Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: CARE 2017: Made by women. Dignified Work in Asia Impact Report 2017, verfügbar unter https://www.care.at/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Made-by-Women_Dignified-Work-in-Asia-Impact-Report-2017.pdf  (Stand 18.11.2019).
  6. Number of Garment / Textile Enterprises: http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/zxfb/201911/t20191119_1710336.html 
  7. Garment / Textile Industry Export Market : CN General Administration of Customs

    http://www.customs.gov.cn//customs/302249/zfxxgk/2799825/302274/302277/302276/4808233/index.html CN National Reform and Development Commission https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/fgsj/tjsj/cyfz/zzyfz/202301/t20230120_1347264.html

  8. Garment / Textile Industry Size World Trade Organization:CN General Administration of Customs

    http://www.customs.gov.cn//customs/302249/zfxxgk/2799825/302274/302277/302276/4807694/index.html

  9. Key Garment / Textile Export Markets: https://www.cntac.org.cn/zixun/shuju/202202/t20220215_4237218.html
    *2021

News on China


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There is growing clamour from the US apparel and textile industry to boost enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), however there are a number of challenges that need to be overcome first for verifying cotton's origin, writes Robert P. Antoshak, Gherzi Textile Organization partner and MeiLin Wan, vice president, Applied DNA Sciences.

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Signal: How technology can help enforce forced labour laws

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Source Fashion 2024 to debut three new sourcing countries

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