Overview of China’s Yarn Import and Export in 2025

Source: Yarn Branch, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles

Core Summary

[Review of Intermediate Goods Market] In 2025, the global economy showed divergence and restructuring amid fragile resilience. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a global economic growth rate of 3.2%. Sluggish growth in advanced economies stood in sharp contrast to the rise of emerging markets. Meanwhile, higher tariffs imposed by the United States pushed up trade barriers, and global supply chains accelerated regional restructuring. Multiple factors jointly reshaped China’s foreign trade landscape for intermediate goods including yarn and fabrics.

For the whole year, China’s exports of yarn and fabrics achieved slight positive growth, while imports dropped significantly. In December alone, imports edged up slightly whereas exports continued to decline, highlighting uncertainties facing foreign trade in the later period. The overall situation featured steady annual growth, monthly pressure, and contracting imports.

1. Growth in Exports of Yarn and Fabrics (Jan–Dec)

In 2025, China’s total exports of yarn and fabrics reached USD 83.79 billion, up 1.5% year-on-year (YoY). By product, yarn exports stood at USD 14.7 billion (+4.1% YoY), and fabric exports at USD 69.09 billion (+1.0% YoY).

1. Sharp Decline in Imports of Yarn and Fabrics (Jan–Dec)

China’s imports of intermediate goods fell markedly. From January to December, cumulative imports of yarn and fabrics were USD 7.12 billion, down 10.2% YoY. Specifically, yarn imports reached USD 4.79 billion (-8.5% YoY), and fabric imports USD 2.33 billion (-13.4% YoY).

1. December Monthly Performance: Slight Import Growth, Continued Export Decline

In December, China’s exports of intermediate goods totaled USD 7.35 billion, down 3.6% YoY, including yarn exports of USD 1.22 billion (-3.9% YoY) and fabric exports of USD 6.14 billion (-3.6% YoY).

Imports of intermediate goods amounted to USD 740 million, up 1.2% YoY, including yarn imports of USD 500 million (+4.1% YoY) and fabric imports of USD 240 million (-4.5% YoY).

1. Export Performance
2. Rising Exports to ASEAN

Exports of both yarn and fabrics to ASEAN increased from January to December.

ASEAN remained China’s largest export market for yarn, accounting for over 20% of total yarn exports. From Jan to Dec, China’s textile and apparel exports to ASEAN fell 6.1% YoY to USD 49.9 billion, yet intermediate goods (yarn and fabrics) bucked the trend with exports of USD 27.73 billion (+0.7% YoY). Of this total, yarn exports were USD 3.39 billion (+7.5% YoY) and fabric exports USD 24.34 billion (-0.2% YoY). By product structure, chemical fiber yarn dominated exports to ASEAN at over 75%, followed by cotton yarn at 12%.

• Vietnam: Yarn exports reached USD 1.58 billion, +6.5% YoY
• Cambodia: Yarn exports reached USD 530 million, +26.8% YoY
• Indonesia: Yarn exports reached USD 640 million, +5.9% YoY

2. Growing Exports to Three South Asian Countries

• India: Yarn exports USD 1.28 billion, +32.3% YoY
• Pakistan: Yarn exports USD 1.25 billion, +11.4% YoY
• Bangladesh: Yarn exports USD 1.26 billion, +3.2% YoY

3. Markets in the Middle East, the Americas and Europe

• Middle East (21 countries): Accounted for 14.3% of China’s yarn exports. Annual yarn exports reached USD 1.86 billion, down 10.4% YoY. Exports to Egypt, the UAE and Turkey dropped 8.9%, 28.9% and 12.2% respectively, while those to Morocco rose 29.1%.

21 Middle Eastern countries: Turkey, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Sudan, Bahrain, Palestine

• The Americas: Yarn exports to North America fell 14.9% YoY; those to Latin America rose 1.3% YoY. Exports to Colombia, Peru and Argentina increased 7.1%, 7.1% and 9.3% respectively, while those to Brazil and Mexico declined 0.8% and 5.3%.
• Europe: Yarn exports dropped 4.8% YoY. Exports to Poland, Spain and Belarus grew 2.6%, 2.4% and 38.1% respectively; sharp falls were recorded in Portugal (-15%), Belgium (-13.1%) and Germany (-11.9%).

4. Higher Export Volume with Lower Unit Prices

From Jan to Dec, yarn exports hit 6.876 million tons, up 10.9% YoY, with an average unit price of USD 2.14/kg, down 6.1% YoY.

• Cotton yarn: Exports 332,000 tons (+9.5% YoY), value USD 1.26 billion (+4.2% YoY)
• Chemical fiber yarn: Exports 6.49 million tons (+11% YoY), value USD 12.28 billion (+4.0% YoY)
• Silk yarn: Exports 2,756 kg (-13.4% YoY), value USD 140 million (-8.3% YoY)
• Wool and animal-hair yarn: Exports 224,000 tons (+4.6% YoY), value USD 720 million (+14.7% YoY)

5. Top Export Provinces & Municipalities

The top five regions for yarn exports were Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shandong and Shanghai, jointly accounting for 80% of total exports. All saw positive growth except Fujian:

• Zhejiang: USD 5.59 billion (+3.1% YoY)
• Jiangsu: USD 3.45 billion (+5.9% YoY)
• Fujian: USD 1.20 billion (-6.2% YoY)
• Shandong: USD 950 million (+11.8% YoY)
• Shanghai: USD 620 million (+4.2% YoY)

1. Import Performance
2. Continuous Decline in Yarn Imports (Jan–Dec)

Affected by US tariff policies, China’s textile and apparel exports to the US weakened, leading to shrinking demand for imported yarn.

• Cotton yarn: Imports USD 3.33 billion (-7.6% YoY); volume 1.497 million tons (-1.5% YoY), accounting for 70% of total yarn imports
• Chemical fiber yarn: Imports USD 1.22 billion (-13.8% YoY)
• Silk yarn, wool & animal-hair yarn: USD 3.769 million (+5.1% YoY) and USD 140 million (+11.3% YoY) respectively

2. Sources of Cotton Yarn Imports

The top five sources of imported cotton yarn were all Asian countries, jointly accounting for 90% of total imports:

• Vietnam: Imports 881,000 tons (+10.3% YoY, 58.8% of total volume), value USD 1.97 billion (+2.1% YoY, 59.3% of total value)
• Malaysia & Indonesia: Imports rose 6.2% and 32.6% YoY respectively
• Pakistan & India: Imports fell 4.1% and 17.7% YoY respectively