January-October 2010 Silk Clothing Export Profile

Business Club, December 13th According to China's customs data released this month, silk garment exports showed mixed performance from January to October. While the total volume of silk clothing exports decreased by 10.1% year-on-year to 65.79 million sets, the value of these exports fell slightly by 5%, reaching $918 million. However, the average unit price increased by 5.67% to $13.96 per set, indicating a shift towards higher-value products. Silk garments accounted for 69.7% of total silk product exports, 35.42% of real silk merchandise exports, and 0.87% of China’s overall garment exports, highlighting their significance in the broader textile sector. Looking at key markets, exports to major destinations declined across the board. Hong Kong saw the smallest drop at 3.89%, while the UK experienced the steepest fall at 17.82%. The top five silk garment export markets were the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, and the UK. The U.S. remained the largest market, with 28.56 million sets exported for $385 million, down 10.56% in volume and 4.66% in value. The average unit price rose to $13.50, up 6.6% year-on-year, slightly above the global average. The U.S. accounted for 43.14% of the total export volume and 41.97% of the value. Hong Kong’s exports dropped by 3.89% in volume to 8.01 million sets, but the value increased by 4.63% to $87.21 million. The average unit price was $10.89, up 8.86%, making it the lowest among major markets. Hong Kong held 12.17% of the volume and 9.5% of the value share. In the UK, exports fell by 17.82% in volume to 4.23 million sets, with a value decline of 24.47% to $63.34 million. The average unit price dropped by 8.1% to $13.29, marking the only major market where prices fell. The UK accounted for 6.44% of the volume and 6.13% of the value. On the domestic front, major exporting provinces also saw declines. Jiangsu had the smallest drop at 2.52%, while Zhejiang experienced the largest decline at 15.24%. Together, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Shanghai accounted for 93.55% of the national silk garment export volume. Zhejiang alone contributed 43.72% of the total, with 28.77 million sets exported. These trends suggest that while demand remains strong in some regions, Chinese silk garment producers are facing challenges in maintaining both volume and pricing, especially in traditional markets. As the industry adapts, focusing on premium products and emerging markets may be key to sustaining growth.