In the first quarter of this year, the export value of my country’s clothing products increased by 5.2% year-on-year, and the growth rate slowed down. However, exports of wedding and social clothing such as wedding dresses and suits have increased against the trend.
At a suit manufacturing company in Dalian, staff are busy communicating with overseas customers.
Sun Peng, a staff member of the international trade department of a clothing company in Dalian City, Liaoning Province: Since the beginning of this year, the customer’s order situation has recovered relatively well, and about 10 foreign emails are processed every day.
In the production workshop of this clothing company, there is also a busy scene. The person in charge told reporters that since the first quarter of this year, their exports of customized suits have exceeded 550,000 pieces, a significant increase of 78% compared to the same period last year. Currently, their Export orders have been scheduled until September this year.
As a traditional Western clothing, wedding dresses have collided with new sparks after years of integration with domestic production and design. Wedding dresses are gradually incorporating some “Chinese style”, and traditional crafts such as “cheongsam collar” and “bead embroidery” have become popular overseas.
The reporter learned in Chaozhou, Guangdong, where the wedding dress industry gathers, that with the increase in weddings held in various countries, many export companies have placed orders until August and September this year.
Zheng Runtao, Deputy Commissioner of Chaozhou Customs: Chaozhou’s wedding dress exports in the first quarter of this year were 180 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of more than 116%.
While the export situation of wedding and social clothing is improving, the industry is also facing multiple pressures such as rising raw materials and intensifying industry competition.
Cai Haoli, director of a wedding dress company, told reporters that international crude oil prices have continued to rise recently, and the cost of chemical fiber fabrics has also risen accordingly. Since this year, their raw material costs have increased by 10%.
Cai Haoli, administrative director of a wedding dress company in Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province: There are two aspects to the increase in the cost of wedding dresses this year. One is the increase in raw materials and the other is the increase in labor costs.
Experts told reporters that since the beginning of this year, with the resumption of work and production in Southeast Asia, international competition in the clothing production industry has become increasingly fierce. In the first two months of this year, Vietnam’s textile and apparel exports amounted to US$5.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 48%. The current rapid growth of wedding social wear such as wedding dresses and suits is mostly consuming the stock that was suppressed by the epidemic in the previous two years, and the future growth is not optimistic. To achieve further growth amid challenges, it is also necessary to improve comprehensive competitiveness in technology, management, environmental protection and other aspects.
Jiao Pei, full-time vice president of the China National Garment Association: Through our organizational management, we can improve the quality and efficiency of the company’s operations and retain high-value orders.
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