China exported textiles, apparel, and clothing accessories worth $40.845 billion in the first two months of 2023, registering a decline of 18.50 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The latest monthly data released by the General Administration of Customs of China shows that the country's garment exports decreased by 14.7 per cent in the same period.Garment and clothing accessories exports stood at $21.677 billion in January-February 2023, which was 14.7 per ce

China’s business confidence rebounded to a decade-high in February 2023, mainly due to the recent roll back of COVID-19 containment measures and the country’s return to more normal business conditions, according to the S&P Global China Business Outlook survey. Optimism around the 12-month outlook for output rose notably from that seen last October.Expectations regarding future employment and profitability also improved markedly at the start of 2023. At the same time, firms anticipate stronge

China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has surged by 9.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) during first two months of 2023, reaching a total value of 951.93 billion yuan (approximately $137.25 billion), accounting for 15.4 per cent of the country's foreign trade, according to China’s official customs data. The country’s total trade during the same period has seen a slight decline of 0.8 per cent YoY, with a total value of 6.18 trillion yuan.During the first two m

The road logistics price index in China rose in February this year to 103.4—up by 5.2 per cent year on year—amid sound recovery of the transportation sector, according to a survey jointly conducted by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and the Guangdong Lin'an Logistics Group. The survey was upbeat about the sector’s future performance.It emphasised on further expansion of domestic demand amid the country’s strong economic rebound.The sub-indices for all types of vehicles durin

Langfang, a city located in the Hebei province in North China, recently launched its first China-Europe freight train, marking a milestone in the city’s transportation development. The launch of the China-Europe freight train service will provide a more efficient and cost-effective transportation option for businesses in Langfang and other regions.The train, which carried 55 40-foot containers with a total value of nearly 20 million yuan (about $2.88 million), has departed from Langfang and will

G20 merchandise trade contracted in value terms in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, compared to the previous quarter and measured in current US dollars. Continuing the downward trend from its peak in Q2 2022, exports and imports declined by 3.5 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively, reflecting sluggish global demand and decreasing energy prices.Falling oil prices weighed especially heavily on merchandise trade in North America, with exports contracting by 6.7 per cent in Canada, 5.4 per cent i

Five members of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Climate Action Corps, including Burton, New Balance, Patagonia, REI Co-op, and Gore's Fabrics Division, have released a joint-commissioned study focused on the feasibility of electrifying the textile and apparel industry. The study found that shifting to industrial heat pumps can lead to significant energy reductions, reduced CO2 emissions, and lower costs compared to conventional systems.The study, entitled ‘Electrification of Heating i

China's total cargo throughput increased by 3 per cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, according to Fitch Ratings’ ‘China Ports Watch–4Q22’ report. The country’s foreign trade cargo in Q4 of 2022 declined by 1 per cent at eight major coastal ports compared to the previous year, primarily due to continued weakening overseas demand.Total container throughput increased 7 per cent YoY in Q4 of 2022, driven by newly opened shipping routes and sea-rail transportation routes along

The overall global buyer-supplier partnership index (BBPI) score for softgoods increased by one point from last year (40 in 2022, compared to 39 in 2021). The share of true partner, collaborator, and detractor ratings stayed roughly the same, as per the Better Buying Institute.Scores improved compared to 2021 in areas including buyers making efforts to reduce duplicative audit requirements (4.2 per cent); fairness of buyers’ financial practices (4.1 per cent); buyers’ efforts to improve working

Climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices based on nuclear and related techniques have enabled farmers and researchers in Azerbaijan to more than double cotton production in a project supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. The new variety called ‘cotton super’ combined with CSA practices has helped increase the country’s average of three tonnes per hectare to eight tonnes per hectare.Imple