CTEI Exclusive: Home textile, once a sector that was experiencing very good growth in textiles, is fighting for their survival in 2009 with dismal overseas market hit by the economic crisis. In this article we have analysed export performance of main home textiles including bedding products, carpet, curtain and towel based on official export data during the first three quarters of 2009.
Although home textile export shows a little recovery signs since 2009, significant gains at that time will be hard to come by, and won't be nearly enough to prevent other sizeable slippage in overall home textile activity.
Bedding products: decreasing amplitude down
During the first nine months of the year 2009, China bedding products export was 0.987 billion pieces ($2.115 billion), dropping 5.12 percent (12.22%), with the decreasing amplitude down 0.63 percentage points (1.45%) compared with that in the past eight months.
Looking further, from January to September, the export of cotton bedding products was 0.34 billion pieces ($1.295 billion), posted 20.75 per cent (-19.44%) decline from the previous year's period. The price was up 1.64%; The export of chemical fiber bedding products was 0.62 billion pieces ($ 0.769 billion), up 6.71% (4.09%) y/y. The price was down 2.36%; The export volume of linen bedding products led the slump, down 35.38 percent from the previous year's period while the price was up 16.7%.
Carpet: exports shrink
According to data surveyed by China Customs, from January to September, China carpet export was 30,000 tons ($1.052 billion), down 0.43 per cent (-10.5%) from the previous year's period. The price was up 10.26%. Carpet export had hit rock bottom in Feb. and then shows recovery signal, which may demonstrate the carpet enterprises' ability to underscore their confidence that it will enter the recovery period.
Curtain: exports dip slightly
From January to September, China curtain export was valued at about $1.194 billion (0.342 billion pieces), down 3.87 per cent (-0.41%) from the previous year's period. The price was down 3.5%.
Towel: prices inching up
From January to September, China towel export was valued at about $0.681 billion (0.339 billion pieces), down 13.57 per cent (-14.04%) from the previous year's period. The price was inching up 0.5 per cent which shows the added value is improved.
Risk in a concentrated export market
The export destination of China's home textile products are considered to be highly concentrated. This is reflected by the statistical data of the past couple of years when, the top export destination of the following products - bedding products, curtain and towel- is United States. Unfortunately, United States which stands as the major market for Chinese home textile exports, has become gloomy under the expanding impact of crisis. The quantities of export that we saw two years ago are not there. In this regard, China home textile industry should reduce its reliance on the single export market and diversify export markets. Otherwise, Chinese factories have to continue to adapt or close down while they wait to see if Americans will reopen their wallets.
When we look at the table, we see from January to September, bedding products export to the United States accounts for 23.31 percent of the country's overall bedding products export. The Chinese bedding products was affected in 2009 by the crisis amongst its American customers. China exported bedding products worth $ 0.493 billion: this is 25.13 per cent less than the previous year.
Japan and France defended the fast growth countries for curtain import from China in the first nine months of the year 2009.
Japan's economic growth accelerated in the third quarter of this year to record the second straight expansion recovering from the worst financial crisis since the great depression. Curtain export to Japan accounts for 10.77 percent of China's overall curtain export, with volume of $129 million, up 11.73% y/y. Export price was up 11.53% which shows the added value of Chinese curtain is improved.
France's gross domestic product for the third quarter grew 0.3 percent, confirming an economic recovery is in place. China's Curtain export to France accounts for 4.12% percent of China's overall curtain export in the first nine months of the year 2009.
Table. Export market share of China's home textiles in Jan. - Sep. 2009.
