China Silk Global Trade Statistics – January to March  2025

Source: China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles
Author: Silk Department
Date: April 23, 2025

In the previous article, we learned about the import and export trade of Japanese silk products from January to February 2025. Interested friends can click on Japanese silk to view it. Today we will focus on analyzing the import and export trade of silk products in China from January to March 2025. Let’s take a look.

According to Chinese customs statistics, from January to March, the total import and export value of real silk products reached USD 394 million, a year-on-year decline of 9.96%, accounting for 0.56% of the total import and export value of China’s textile and apparel industry.

(I) China Silk Global Trade Export Overview

The export value of real silk products was USD 326 million, down 6.02% year-on-year, accounting for 0.52% of China’s textile and apparel exports. In the same period, the export value of textiles and garments increased by 0.97% YoY.

1. Structural breakdown of Exported Products

In the first quarter of 2025, China’s exports of all silk products decreased by 6.02% year-on-year. Compared with last year, the performance of the three major product categories reversed: from decline in raw silk and yarn, decline in silk fabrics, and rise in silk finished products, to rise in raw silk and yarn, rise in silk fabrics and a sharp decline in silk finished products. (See Table 1)

Table 1: China’s Silk Product Export Structure (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000; Quantity Unit: Tons, 10,000 square meters

(Source: China Customs)

2. Major Export Markets

Among China’s top five export markets of silk products, exports to the United States declined significantly due to the trade war. Meanwhile, exports to the EU and India increased slightly. Vietnam showed the fastest growth among the top 10 export markets, with a year-on-year growth of 29.61%. Notably, exports to Madagascar surged, mainly consisting of raw silk products. (See Table 2)

Table 2: Major Export Markets of China’s Silk Products (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

(Source: China Customs)

(1)  Export Markets of China’s Raw Silk and Yarn

In the first quarter, among China’s top five raw silk export markets, only India showed a decline. Exports to Vietnam and Pakistan increased significantly by 53.57% and 34.73%, respectively. Madagascar emerged as a breakout market, with exports surging from just USD 600 in Q1 2024 to USD 2.79 million in Q1 2025. Exports to Cambodia declined sharply. (See Table 3)

Table 3: Major Export Markets of China’s Raw Silk and Yarn (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

(Source: China Customs)

(2) Export Markets of China’s Silk Fabrics

From January to March, among the top five export markets of silk fabrics, only Korea saw a year-on-year decline. The EU showed the highest growth rate of 24.26%, with its market share increasing by 5 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Exports to Hong Kong and Pakistan fell the most among the top ten. (See Table 4)

Table 4: Major Export Markets for China’s Silk Fabrics (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

(3) Export Markets of China’s Silk Finished Products

In Q1 2025, the previous upward trend in exports of silk finished goods reversed, with a total decline of 15.93%. Among the top five export markets, only the UK achieved year-on-year growth (14.40%), rising to third place. Exports to Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, and Canada all dropped by over 30%, while exports to Mexico surged. (See Table 5)

Table 5: Major Export Markets of China’s Silk Finished Products (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

3. Export Overview by Provinces in China

In Q1 2025, among the top five exporting provinces and cities, all saw a year-on-year decline in export value, with Shandong Province falling the most at -13.97%. However, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recorded rapid growth. (See Table 6)

Table 6: Export Value of Silk Products by Province/City in China (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

(Source: China Customs)

2. Sources of Imports

From January to March, China’s import value of silk products declined significantly, with a year-on-year drop of 24.96%. Imports from the top four major sources all saw substantial decreases. Among them, imports from the EU (China’s largest import source of silk products) dropped by 25.70%. Of the top five import sources, only imports from North Korea increased notably, but due to its relatively small share, it had little impact on the overall import trend. (See Table 8)

Table 8: Import Value of Major Sources of China’s All Silk Products (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

(Source: China Customs)

3. Imports by Provinces and Cities in China

From January to March, among the top five provinces and cities by import value of silk products, only Sichuan Province (ranked fifth) experienced rapid growth, climbing five positions compared to the same period last year. The top four provinces and cities all saw significant declines, with Shanghai, which held the largest share, recording a 25.18% year-on-year decrease. (See Table 9)

Table 9: Import Value of All Silk Products by Province/City in China (January–March 2025)
Unit: USD 10,000

(Source: China Customs)
(Note from esilk.net: This article is published for the purpose of sharing industry information. The content is for reference only.)

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