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In August 2025, approximately *** billion meters of clothing fabric were produced in China. In the previous year, China produced more than ** billion meters of clothing fabric in total.

The domestic clothing industry in China

Being a major part of the textile industry, clothing manufacturing, with its labor-intensive production processes, traditionally plays an important role in national employment. Over the past decades, the production presence of the apparel industry has diminished in developed countries as companies have adopted a practice of outsourcing their manufacturing needs to low-wage economies. Currently, clothing is one of the most globalized sectors worldwide, serving as a large source of employment in developing countries.

China’s recent growth momentum is tightly linked to massive local engagement of the international clothing industry. Due to comparably low labor costs, reduced commercial barriers, and better information flows, China still presents one of the most attractive destinations for clothing manufacturing. In 2024, approximately billion units of apparel were produced in China.

International trade

International trade figures further emphasize China’s current position as the world’s largest textile-exporting country. In 2022, China accounted for over **** percent of the world's textile exports, followed by the European Union and India. Despite a stable growth of China’s clothing industry, several challenges for the sector have emerged on the horizon. Rising labor costs and increasingly strict environmental policies are among the most prominent issues for Chinese clothing companies. To cope with the changes, an increasing number of Chinese textile enterprises have turned their focus to upgrading their industrial infrastructure and modernizing their production processes.