TCF POST Analysis
Latest figures from the Chinese General Administration of Customs indicate that easing of trade tensions between China and the U.S. drove a robust month-on-month recovery, particularly in the apparel sector,in May 2026.
However, due to a high statistical baseline from the previous year, overall exports for the month declined slightly year-on-year. Looking at the broader picture, cumulative exports from January to May managed a marginal growth over last year.
Here is the performance breakdown, both in USD and CNY denominations:
China’s Textile and Apparel Export Performance (In USD Terms)
May 2026 Performance
- Total Textile & Apparel: US$25.61 billion (down 2.3% Year on Year but up 6.4% Month on Month.
- Textiles: US$12.59 billion (down 0.3% YoY and 0.9% MoM).
- Apparel: US$13.02 billion (down 4.1% YoY, but surged 14.7%, MoM).
January–May 2026 Cumulative Performance
- Total Exports: US$116.72 billion (up 0.1% YoY).
China’s Textile and Apparel Export Performance (In CNY Terms)
May Performance
- Total Textile & Apparel: 175.79 billion yuan (down 7% YoY, but up 6.9% MoM).
- Textiles: 86.43 billion yuan (down 5.1% YoY and 0.5% MoM).
- Apparel: 89.36 billion yuan (down 8.7% YoY, but up 15.1% MoM).
January–May Cumulative
- Total Exports: 812.24 billion yuan (down 3.1% YoY).
- Textiles: 413.94 billion yuan (down 1.5% YoY).
- Apparel: 398.3 billion yuan (down 4.7% YoY).
