From January to May 2021, China’s garment export (including garment accessories, the same below) reached 58.49 billion US dollars, up 48.2% year on year and 14.2% over the same period in 2019. In the same month of May, the garment export was $12.59 billion, up 37.6 percent year on year and 3.4 percent higher than that of May 2019. The growth rate was significantly slower than that of April.

Knitted garment exports increased by more than 60%

From January to May, export of knitted garments reached US $23.16 billion, up 60.6 percent year on year and 14.8 percent over the same period in 2019. Knitwear grew nearly 90 per cent in May, mainly because knitwear orders accounted for most of the return orders due to overseas epidemics. Among them, the export of cotton, chemical fiber and wool knitted garments increased by 63.6%, 58.7% and 75.2%, respectively. Silk knitted garments saw a smaller increase of 26.9 per cent.

Woven garment export growth rate is lower

From January to May, the export of woven garments reached 22.38 billion US dollars, up 25.4 percent, much lower than that of knitted garments and basically flat compared with the same period in 2019. Among them, cotton and chemical fiber woven garments increased by 39.8% and 21.5% respectively. Wool and silk woven garments fell 13.8 percent and 24 percent, respectively. The smaller increase in woven garment exports was mainly due to a nearly 90% year-on-year drop in the export of medical protective clothing (classified as woven garments made of chemical fiber) in May, leading to a 16.4% year-on-year drop in woven garments made of chemical fiber. Excluding protective clothing for medical use, exports of conventional woven garments in the first five months of this year were up 47.1 percent year-on-year, but still down 5 percent compared with the same period in 2019.

Exports of home and sports apparel products maintained strong growth

In terms of clothing, the impact of COVID-19 on the social interaction and commuting of consumers in major foreign markets is still ongoing. In the first five months of this year, exports of suit suits and ties dropped 12.6 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively. Exports of household clothing, such as robes and pajamas, increased by nearly 90 per cent year on year, while casual clothing outfits grew by 106 per cent.