In October, the impact of high inflation and rising interest rates linger on, and consumption in developed countries have noticeably shrunk. Consequentially, apparel factories in Southeast Asia receive less orders and yield less products for export, which leads to a substantial decline of overseas demands for China’s sewing machinery. The export growth rate of the same compared to last year is 0.42%, slower than that in Q3, the export volume of industrial sewing machine declines for four months in a row. 

In summary and by products

According to the Customs, China has exported sewing machinery worth of 2,920mn USD in the first 10 months, increasing 15.57% on a YoY basis, a lower growth rate compared with last month. Among the products, China has exported industrial sewing machines of 4.26mn sets (9.59% higher on a YoY basis), worth of 1,525mn USD (a YoY increase of 25.18%), delivering a high growth rate; embroidery machines of 49 thousand sets (increasing 57.18%), worth of 424mn USD (growing 52.37%), a relatively high growth rate.

However, the demands for household sewing machines in the United States and Japan drop sharply, in which case, China's export volume and value of the same has respectively declined 37.76% and 34.94% in the past 10 months.

Export of sewing machinery from January to October, 2022

 (Unit: set, kg, USD, %)

 (Source: China Customs)

China's monthly export of sewing machinery

 (Source: China Customs)

In October, China has exported sewing machinery worth of 257mn USD, growing 0.42% on a year-on-year basis but declining 13.35% compared with the previous month. Among them, industrial sewing machines of 345,000 sets, falling 12.11% compared with the same period a year earlier, and 13.13% lower compared with a month earlier. Its monthly export value is 118mn USD, 7.84% lower on a YoY basis, and falling 16.75% compared with the previous month. The export value and volume of industrial sewing machine have declined substantially compared to Q2 and Q3. 

Export of sewing machinery in October, 2022

 (Unit: set, kg, USD, %)

 (Source: China Customs)

By export destinations:

Over the past 10 months, China has seen its export to South America, Oceania, the rest of Asia grow compared with a year earlier, while its export to Europe, Africa and North America falls. By regions, China has exported sewing machinery worth of 1,968mn USD to BRI countries, increasing 24.61%, which constitutes 67.39% of the total export, and its proportion also grows 4.89% compared to a year earlier; export to RECP countries worth of 972mn USD, increasing 22.08%, which constitutes 33.79% of the total export, and the proportion grows 2.27% compared to the same period a year earlier; export to ASEAN countries worth of 815mn USD, growing 28.45% on a YoY basis; export to South Asian countries worth of 669mn USD, rallying 37.41%; export to Middle East worth of 266mn USD, skyrocketing 36.08%; export to EU worth of 151mn USD, dropping 20.01%; export to East Asian countries worth of 143mn USD, dipping 5.44%; export to Central Asia worth of 74mn USD, growing 8.08%.

China's export of sewing machinery to continents from Jan to Oct, 2022

 (Source: China Customs)

China's export of sewing machinery to major markets from Jan to Oct, 2022

 (Source: China Customs)

By countries, of all the 200 export destinations of sewing machinery, nearly 60% have seen positive growth; 15 out of the top 20 export destinations saw substantial growth, 13 of them have experienced two-digit growth rate, and 9 of them have realized a growth rate higher than 30% in October.

During the same period, India is still China's largest export market of sewing machinery. China has exported the same to India worth of 397mn USD, rallying 68.94% on a year-on-year basis, which constitute 13.61% of the total export; export of sewing machinery to Vietnam is 342mn USD, increasing 15.18%, which constitute 11.73% of the total export of this sector; America has once again surpassed Bangladesh, becoming our third largest export destination. During the same period, China has exported sewing machinery worth of 147mn USD to America, dropping 1.50%, which makes up 5.03% of the total export. Furthermore, China's export of sewing machinery in the past 10 months to countries like Bangladesh, Singapore, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, UAE, Mexico and Myanmar have witnessed substantial growth, while that to Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria, Taiwan Province, Uzbekistan, Egypt have declined.

China's export of sewing machinery to major markets from Jan to Oct, 2022

 (Source: China Customs)

In October, China has exported sewing machinery worth of 60.09mn USD to ASEAN countries, growing 4.26% on a YoY basis, but falling 15.42% compared with a month earlier; export value of the same to India is 43.40mn USD, rallying 37.35% on a YoY basis, but falling 21.51% when compared with Sept; export value of the same to Vietnam is 24.82mn USD, growing 3.96% on a YoY basis, but falling 6.68% when compared with Sept (kept declining for five months in a row). Moreover, exports to Russia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Mexico, Thailand, UAE, Argentina, Colombia have seen double-digit growth, and exports to Mexico and Thailand have multiplied, while exports to USA, Bangladesh, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Cambodia have suffered decline.

China's export of sewing machinery to major markets in October, 2022

 (Source: China Customs)

Import summaries:

According to data released by the Customs, China has imported sewing machinery worth of 720mn USD in the past 10 months, falling 9.80%. By categories, 37,700 sets of industrial sewing machines, worth of 80.24mn USD, declining 14.40% and 20.13% respectively; 92,300 sets of household sewing machines (increasing 30.54%), worth of 7.04mn USD (increasing 14.82%); 27,600 sets of pre- and post-sewing equipment (soaring 52.71%), worth of 564mn USD (falling 8.00%); spare parts worth of 64.13mn USD, falling 8.09% on a YoY basis; 446 sets of embroidery machines worth of 4.29mn USD, dropping 19.93% and 49.71% separately. 

In October, China has imported sewing machinery worth of 57.01mn USD, falling 12.52% compared with a year earlier, and 22.79% lower compared with a month earlier. By categories, 3,391 sets of industrial sewing machines (falling 19.97% compared with a year earlier), worth of 5.39mn USD, plunging 42.28% compared with a year earlier; its import volume has dropped 10.48% compared with a month earlier, while its import value has grown 3.56% compared with a month earlier.

China's monthly import of sewing machinery

 (Source: China Customs)