In July, China’s apparel industry continued to see declines in key indicators like production, exports, and efficiency, caused by weak demand in overseas markets, reduced export promotion efforts, high temperatures, rainstorms, extreme weather, and shifts in clothing consumption into the traditional off-season, among other factors. Looking ahead for the entire year, the industry still faces a complex situation: international trade tensions keep rising, the geopolitical situation remains tense, domestic consumer demand remains weak, and multiple issues are interconnected. As a result, companies continue to face production and operational challenges, and the foundation for industry recovery needs further strengthening.

01 Production

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the industrial added value of apparel enterprises above a designated size decreased by 1.2% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2025. Meanwhile, the garment output of enterprises above the designated size declined by 0.29% year-on-year, which is 0.69 percentage points lower than the first half of 2025.

02 Domestic Sales

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s total retail sales of consumer goods reached 28.42 trillion yuan from January to July, marking a 4.8% increase year over year and 0.2 percentage points slower than that of the first half of 2025. Among these, the cumulative retail sales of apparel goods above the designated size amounted to 599.24 billion yuan, up by 2.2% year-on-year. Additionally, the online retail sales of wearable items grew by 1.7% year-on-year, 0.3 percentage points faster than that of the first half of 2025.

03 Export

According to the Customs Newsletters, China’s apparel and accessories exports totaled US$88.62 billion from January to July this year, decreasing by 0.3% year over year. In July alone, China’s apparel and accessories exports reached US$15.16 billion, down by 0.5% year-on-year, 1.6 percentage points lower than the previous month.

04 Investment

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, fixed-asset investment in China’s garment industry surged 25.2% year-on-year from January to July this year, 1.8 percentage points slower than the first half of this year.

05 Benefit

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, from January to July, the total main business income of apparel enterprises above the designated size reached approximately 665.47 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 2.26%, which is 0.83 percentage points higher than the first half of 2025. The total profit amounted to 25.03 billion yuan, declining by 14.20% year-on-year. The operating margin was 3.76%, which is 1.15 percentage points lower than that of 2024, but 0.06 percentage points higher than the first half of this year.

Source: CHINA TEXTILE LEADER Express