As the country with the second highest per capita textile consumption in the world, Australia’s status as a major textile consumer is second only to the United States. Although only about 40,000 people out of a population of 25.69 million are employed in the textile industry, Australia is still internationally renowned for clothing companies such as Billabong and Van Heusen. The Australian textile industry has struggled to keep up with British and American fashion, with fashion being one of Australia’s major exports.
High quality raw material source
Due to its pleasant climate all year round and its large amount of open land, Australia is extremely suitable for growing various natural textile fibers, such as cotton, hemp, etc. These unique natural materials used in textiles make their products stand out in the market. A circular economy for textiles is critical to achieving sustainable development of the Australian textile industry. Textile circularity provides important opportunities to drive innovation, create new jobs and recycle valuable resources. In this regard, Australia has begun in-depth research on innovative green textiles to solve the problem of environmental damage caused by the textile industry.
In addition, technical textiles and new materials are leading the industry’s growth, and research and development in industries such as functional and natural fibers may also create new opportunities in the future. The innovative design of digital textile printing has become an important trend that subverts the market.
Stable and mutually beneficial China-Australia textile economic and trade relations
In 2021, Australia imported US$8.05 billion in textiles and clothing from my country, accounting for 2.2% of my country’s industry’s total exports, of which US$4.91 billion was imported clothing. In the first quarter of this year, Australia’s clothing imports were US$2.45 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%. Imports from China were US$1.52 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%, accounting for 62.1%, a year-on-year increase of 0.6 percentage points; imports from Bangladesh and Vietnam increased by 12.7% and 24.6% year-on-year respectively, and their shares increased by 0.5 and 0.8 percentage points respectively.
Australia is one of the best places to produce wool, and its wool export volume ranks among the top in the world. Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, Australian wool exports fell from A$2.754 billion in 2019-20 to A$2.563 billion in 2020-21. Australian wool exports to China increased significantly in the second half of 2020-21. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), China’s rising demand for wool has prompted strong growth in Australian wool exports, with Asian countries accounting for more than 80% of Australia’s total wool exports. The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee (AWPFC) forecasts wool production in 2021-22 at 314 million kilograms, an increase of 6.5% from the 294 million kilograms estimated in 2020-21.
With the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Australia has gradually integrated into the regional integration of Asia-Pacific integration. my country’s textile and clothing exports to Australia already enjoy zero tariffs. Stable and mutually beneficial economic and trade relations and increased trade convenience have made the Australian market attract more and more Chinese textile export companies looking for development space with its unique advantages. As an important textile and apparel consumer market in the world, Australia has relatively sufficient purchasing power and is also an important export destination for end products in my country’s textile industry.
Rapid industrialization and population growth are changing consumer spending patterns and demand for manufactured goods. Asian economies are leading the way. In order to actively respond to the COVID-19 epidemic, at the end of 2020, the Australian government released its modern manufacturing strategy, which aims to help manufacturers expand their scale, improve their competitiveness and establish a more resilient supply chain, and invest in manufacturing to increase productivity and create jobs. .
It is reported that by 2030, the Asia-Pacific region will have about 65% of the world’s middle class. In this regard, the Australian government encourages more manufacturers to produce personalized and high value-added products for consumers. Over the next five years, Australia will support a more industry-focused science and technology system, striving to drive growth across the industry with high-productivity, high-impact and high-competitive companies over the next decade, further enhancing Australia’s competitiveness advantages, making Australia a high-quality and sustainable manufacturing country.
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