On September 8, the General Administration of Customs released the latest national foreign trade statistics: From January to August 2026, China’s cumulative exports of textiles and apparel totaled US$203.31 billion, posting year-on-year growth; the growth rate expanded by 0.7 percentage points compared with the January–July period. In August alone, textile and apparel exports reached US$28.57 billion, up 7.7% year over year, marking the third consecutive month of year-on-year increases exceeding 7%. Among these, apparel exports stood out, with August shipments totaling US$15.88 billion—up 12.30% year over year, a pace nearly four percentage points faster than in July—and serving as the key driver behind the overall export expansion. Industry analysts attribute the recent acceleration in apparel exports primarily to the concentrated release of overseas end‑product restocking demand.

In the Japanese market, China’s share of apparel continues to strengthen. According to data from the Textile Importers and Exporters Association, from January to June 2026, China accounted for 46.8% of Japan’s apparel imports, up 0.6 percentage points year on year, thereby maintaining its dominant position. From January to July, China’s apparel exports to Japan totaled US$6.32 billion, a slight year-on-year decline of 1.2%. This combination of rising market share and a modest drop in export value underscores that, amid increasingly fierce price competition in Japan, China’s supply chain—thanks to its balanced mix of quality, delivery reliability, and overall cost‑effectiveness—remains firmly at the heart of Japanese buyers’ procurement strategies.

From the perspective of product‑category structure, demand in the Japanese market is showing a clear structural divergence. From January to July 2026, China’s exports of suit and casual ensembles and tops grew by 9.4% year on year, posting one of the fastest growth rates among all sub‑categories; knitted apparel exports increased by 2.5% year on year, maintaining steady momentum; woven apparel exports declined by 1.8% year on year, with the rate of decline narrowing compared with earlier periods; meanwhile, categories such as dresses and skirts posted year‑on‑year declines. This differentiation suggests that relying solely on scale is no longer sufficient; the ability to accurately align with the category‑specific demands of trading houses and end‑brand retailers is becoming the key differentiator for Chinese exporters to Japan.

As a specialized foreign‑trade enterprise rooted in Nantong and focused on exporting apparel to Japan, Nantong Kaiyuan International Trade Co., Ltd. (Worldrun International Trade) has long been deeply engaged in the Japanese apparel market. The company’s core business is textiles and garments, with all products destined for Japan—50% women’s wear, 40% children’s wear, and 10% men’s wear—covering both woven and knitted product lines. Its offerings include women’s suits, shirts, trench coats, dresses, and other categories that closely align with the current fast‑growing trends in the Japanese market. The company maintains longstanding relationships with leading Japanese trading houses and brand clients such as Mitsui & Co., Marubeni, Toyoshima, Tamura Koma, Takisada, and Adastria. Leveraging its own factory, Nantong Dongyang Fashion Co., Ltd., located in the industrial park of Xindian Town, Rudong County, it has established a robust, integrated manufacturing‑and‑trading operation capable of ensuring stable and reliable delivery.

In response to the Japanese market’s stringent requirements for quality, environmental standards, and regulatory compliance, Kaiyuan International continues to advance its quality‑control measures upstream: at the very source of fabric procurement, it conducts rigorous screening for composition, colorfastness, and harmful substances, aligning closely with Japan’s JIS textile standards and Japanese chemical‑substance management regulations. Subsequently, its in‑house manufacturing facilities implement standardized production processes and perform full‑inspection of finished goods, ensuring compliance and consistent product quality from the upstream end of the supply chain. At the same time, the company continuously optimizes its fabric‑sourcing strategies, production scheduling, and ocean‑freight logistics, thereby enhancing order‑response speed and delivery‑date reliability.

The sound management of Open Source International also underscores the overall resilience of Nantong’s foreign trade. According to Nantong Customs, from January to August 2026, the city’s total import and export value reached RMB 309.32 billion, up 11.2% year on year—marking the first time it has surpassed the RMB 300 billion threshold for the same period. In August alone, imports and exports exceeded RMB 40.6 billion, remaining above RMB 40 billion for three consecutive months. As a well‑known textile and apparel export cluster in the Yangtze River Delta, Nantong’s port‑adjacent location and comprehensive industrial‑chain support have provided sustained, stable growth momentum for local enterprises exporting to Japan.

Industry observers note that global apparel exports continue to face multiple challenges, including volatile external demand, shifting trade policies, and fluctuating exchange rates. Meanwhile, Japanese household apparel spending has remained in contractionary territory for several months, putting widespread pressure on companies exporting to Japan. However, for firms that have deeply cultivated mature niche markets and possess integrated manufacturing‑and‑trading capabilities along with robust pre‑emptive compliance frameworks, there remains room to expand their market share. A representative from Nantong Kaoyuan International stated that the company will continue to align its product mix with evolving Japanese consumer trends, leveraging consistent quality and reliable delivery schedules to strengthen its core export base in Japan, while steadily exploring diversified opportunities in overseas markets.