China's textile export to the United States in the first six months dropped by 0.6 percent from the same period of last year mainly due to the export restraints, said sources with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

 

It is the first time for China to see its textile export to the United States drop in recent years.

 

According to the report released by the NDRC on Friday, China's textile export to the United States in the first six months amounted to US$8.23 billion.

 

The growth is 76 percent lower from the same period of last year.

 

Resulting from the same reason, growth of China's textile export to the European Union also see a decline as the total amount valued at US$9.5 billion, up 10.3 percent from the same period of last year.

 

The year-on-year growth is 46.2 percent down.

 

While China's export of textile products decline, China's bordering countries such as Vietnam, Pakistan, Cambodia and India saw a sharp rise of their textile exports to the United States, said the report.

 

India's textile exports to the United States rose by over 18 percent year on year.

 

Changes in the trade environment have greatly affected China's textile export and such a trend is expanding, said the report.

 

During the January-June period, China's textile enterprises saw a sharp rise of their export to regions without export restraints, which reached US$44.75 billion, up 34.4 percent from the same period of last year.

 

Among those regions, China's textile export to Turkey rose by 221 percent year on year, Mexico, 155 percent, Macao, 63 percent, South Korea, 44 percent and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), 44 percent.

 

Despite of all those adverse conditions such as price rise of raw materials, appreciation of renminbi, trade frictions and shortage of cotton supply, China's textile industry remains at a good status, said the report.

 

The gross value of industrial output of China's textile enterprises above designated scale reached 1,141.2 billion yuan (US$142.65 billion) in the first six months, up 23.7 percent from the same period of last year, and the added value, up 24.6 percent to 295.7 billion yuan.

 

The NDRC report predicted that in the second half year, China's textile industry will remain a stable growth but uncertain trade factors will lead to even less growth in export.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2006)