China’s apparel imports account for a rising share of the industry’s accelerated system innovation

DONGGUAN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua Xu Qingqing) – The 2024 World Apparel Conference opened on Nov. 21 in Humen Town, Dongguan City. China Textile Industry Federation President Sun Ruizhe said at the meeting, the proportion of China’s apparel imports has risen from 0.6% in 2005 to 1.8% in 2023, China’s apparel industry is now centered on technology, fashion, green positioning, accelerating system innovation.

He introduced that China’s apparel exports in 2023 will be $165 billion, accounting for 31.64% of the world. China’s cost-effective intermediate goods supply chain, advanced and applicable equipment and technology have promoted the construction of the global apparel industry ecosystem. in 2023, China’s cumulative exports of yarn and fabrics amounted to US$77.9 billion, exports of textile machinery amounted to US$4.543 billion, and exports of industrial sewing machines amounted to 4.32 million units. Innovative technologies of China’s garment industry have also promoted the modernization of Benin’s cotton cultivation and textile and garment industry.

He said that China’s garment industry is now accelerating systematic innovation around the positioning of technology, fashion and green. This includes building a cost-effective, multi-functional, high-performance, intelligent and green product system based on new materials and processes. The application of new materials, such as graphene and bio-based fibers, has pushed up the performance of garments, such as sun protection, flame retardant and abrasion resistance, significantly. Meanwhile, China’s patent applications in the field of smart wearable textiles have accounted for 45% of the world.
He pointed out that intelligent manufacturing has become the main technical route for China’s garment industry. Intelligent equipment such as WHOLEGARMENT knitting computerized flat knitting machines and digital printing machines have significantly improved the production quality and efficiency of China’s garment industry. Chinese culture, Chinese design, Chinese materials, and Chinese craftsmanship are being transformed into the fashion style and aesthetics of Chinese apparel, while Chinese cultural creations such as film and television, literature, animation, and gaming are the new traffic entrances and sources of value for constructing Chinese fashion.