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China-UAE textile trade declines in 2025 amid investment push

24 Apr '25

2 min read

China-UAE textile trade declines in 2025 amid investment push

Insights

China and the UAE are enhancing their strategic partnership through increased investment, but textiles and apparel trade has seen declines in 2025.
Apparel exports from China to the UAE fell by ***.* per cent in January-February, and fabric exports dropped by ***.* per cent.
Despite a strong past, trade in textiles has been slowing since 2021, with declines in the years following.

Recently, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan virtually held the inaugural meeting of a high-level committee for China-UAE investment cooperation. Ding praised the committee’s role in fostering results in bilateral cooperation, stating that China will work with the UAE to implement the common understandings between the two heads of state and enhance the efficiency and scale of investment cooperation to strengthen the two countries&#**; comprehensive strategic partnership.

Despite these efforts, the latest trade data indicates volatility in the textile and apparel trade. China’s apparel exports to the UAE dropped by **.* per cent to $***.* million in January-February ****, compared to $***.*** million in the same period last year. Similarly, fabric exports to the UAE decreased by **.* per cent to $***.*** million in the first two months of ****, down from $***.*** million in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to Fibre2Fashion&#**;s market insight tool TexPro.