Recently, the China-GCC Countries Forum on Industrial and Investment Cooperation was organised in Xiamen, in the eastern Chinese province of Fujian. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang called for higher industrial and investment cooperation with GCC countries, pledging to provide more convenience for businesses from GCC countries to invest in China.

According to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro, Chinese apparel exports to Saudi Arabia increased by 6.25 per cent last year over the shipment of $2,464.226 million in 2022. Previously, the shipment was noted at $2,818.636 million in 2021, $2,188.698 million in 2020, and $2,581.524 million in 2019.

The United Arab Emirates was the second largest market for Chinese apparel exports in the GCC. It exported apparel worth $459.020 million in January-March 2024. This trade was 17.89 per cent lower than the $2,157.500 million shipped last year, compared to $2,627.980 million in 2022.

Chinese apparel exports to Kuwait were noted at $45.972 million in the first quarter of this year. They were recorded at $241.520 million in 2023 and $288.316 million in 2022. Shipments to Oman were valued at $36.519 million in the first three months of the current year. The trade was recorded at $99.445 million in 2023 and $112.587 million in 2022, as per TexPro.

Similarly, China exported apparel worth $18.671 million to Qatar in January-March 2024. It was noted at $89.571 million in 2023 and $88.425 million in 2022. The shipment to Bahrain was $8.320 million in January-March 2024. It was noted at $52.253 million in 2023 and $46.058 million in 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)