January-December 2025 Import and Export Report for the Sewing Machinery Industry

The global economy remained stable in December, and demand for footwear and apparel in overseas markets stayed relatively strong. China's exports of sewing machinery to regions such as South Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and West Asia showed year-on-year growth, pointing to positive development prospects. For the full year, the export value of China's sewing machinery products increased by 16.42% year-on-year, reaching a record high.

1.Export Overview

According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, the total export value of China's sewing machinery products from January to December 2025 reached 3.986 billion US dollars, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.42%. During this period, the export volume of industrial sewing machines amounted to 5.28 million units, with a total value of 1.689 billion US dollars, reflecting year-on-year growth of 12.62% and 10.98% respectively. Meanwhile, embroidery machine exports totaled 145,000 units, generating 1.011 billion US dollars in revenue, which represents significant year-on-year increases of 50.43% in volume and 48.12% in value. Aside from household sewing machines, export figures for pre- and post- sewing equipment and related parts also showed growth at varying rates.

Exports of China's Sewing Machinery Products, January–December 2025

Monthly Export Figures for China's Sewing Machine Industry

In December, China's exports of sewing machinery products reached 351 million US dollars, marking a 6.57% increase compared to the same period last year and a 5.73% rise from the previous month. Specifically, the export volume of industrial sewing machines stood at 460,000 units, with a value of 138 million US dollars, reflecting year-on-year growth of 21.08% and 0.59%, respectively. On a month-to-month basis, the volume and value increased by 3.11% and 0.87%. For embroidery machines, exports totaled 9,948 units, valued at 88 million US dollars, which represents year-on-year increases of 10.46% in volume and 25.14% in value. However, compared to the previous month, these figures decreased by 14.26% in volume and 7.96% in value. While there was a slight decline in household sewing machines and sewing machine parts, the export value of pre- and post-sewing equipment showed significant year-on-year growth.

Export Situation of Sewing Machinery Products in China in December 2025

2.Overseas Export Market Conditions

In 2025, China's sewing machinery products were exported to 206 countries and regions, with export value seeing year-on-year growth in 60% of these markets. Among the industry's top five export destinations—India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Cambodia—export value all achieved year-on-year growth of over 10%. Within the top 20 export markets, 10 experienced year-on-year growth of more than 10%, while 5 markets saw growth exceeding 30%.

In different regional markets, China's exports to the "Belt and Road" market reached 2.87 billion dollars, up by 19.95% from the previous year. This accounted for 72.00% of the industry's total exports, an increase of 2.12 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Exports to the South Asian market were 1.27 billion dollars, up 38.52%, making up 31.72% of the industry total—a rise of 5.06 percentage points. For the RCEP market, exports totaled 1.13 billion dollars, an increase of 9.91%, representing 28.37% of the industry total, which was a drop of 1.68 percentage points from the previous year. Exports to the ASEAN market were 1.01 billion dollars, up 11.90%, while exports to the West Asian market reached 231 million dollars, down by 7.19%. In the North African market, exports were 198 million dollars, a rise of 19.96%. Exports to the EU market amounted to 153 million dollars, up by 10.04%, and to the East Asian market, 109 million dollars, a slight decrease of 1.34%. Finally, exports to the Central Asian market were 93.5 million dollars, down by 3.98%.

From a regional market perspective, China's exports of sewing machinery grew across five continents, with Africa being the only exception showing particularly strong performance. Exports to the African market increased by 20.76% year-on-year, reflecting a growing trend of the footwear and apparel industry expanding and developing in the region.

Taking a look at 2025, China's exports of sewing machinery to the Asian market reached $2.744 billion. This marks a year-on-year increase of 17.91% and represents 68.84% of the industry's total export value for the period, up by 0.87 percentage points from the previous year. Within Asia, India remained China's largest market for sewing equipment. Exports to India totaled $842 million for the year, a significant jump of 49.83% compared to the previous year, accounting for 21.13% of China's total industry exports. This growth was mainly driven by a substantial rise in embroidery machine exports, along with steady growth in various types of industrial sewing equipment. Exports to Vietnam amounted to $431 million, up 17.27% year-on-year, making up 10.82% of the total. Exports to Pakistan reached $196 million, an increase of 15.83%, representing 4.92% of the total.

In addition, China saw year-on-year growth in sewing machinery exports to several other regional markets. These included ASEAN countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar; South Asian markets such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka; and other areas including Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Jordan, and Turkmenistan. On the other hand, exports declined year-on-year to markets like Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Iran, the Philippines, Taiwan (China), Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and Hong Kong (China).
China's exports of sewing machinery products to the African market reached $407 million, a year-on-year increase of 20.76%, accounting for 10.21% of the industry's total export value during the same period. This share grew by 0.37 percentage points compared to the previous year, making Africa the fastest-growing continental market for the industry at present. Among these, exports to Egypt totaled 107 million US dollars, up 61.91% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing market among the industry's top 20 export destinations in 2025. In addition, China's exports of sewing machinery products to regional markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Cameroon, Togo, and Côte d'Ivoire all showed year-on-year growth.

In contrast, exports to regional markets like Algeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Madagascar saw year-on-year declines.

China exported sewing machinery products to the Latin American market worth $393 million, an increase of 18.50%, accounting for 9.85% of the industry's export value during the same period, an increase of 0.17 percentage points compared to the previous year. Among them, the cumulative export of sewing machinery products to Brazil was 149 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.52%. In addition, China's exports of sewing machinery products to local markets such as Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Chile have shown a year-on-year growth trend; However, the export value of sewing machinery products to local markets such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Cuba has shown a year-on-year decline.

China's exports of sewing machinery products to the European market reached $289 million, a year-on-year increase of 4.00%, accounting for 7.23% of the total industry export value during the same period. This share decreased by 0.86 percentage points compared to the previous year. Among these, exports to the Russian Federation totaled nearly 97 million US dollars, down 5.32% year-on-year, while exports to Germany amounted to 28.52 million US dollars, up 1.32% year-on-year. Additionally, China's exports of sewing machinery products to regional markets such as Poland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Portugal, and Romania all showed year-on-year growth. On the other hand, exports to regional markets including France, Belarus, Bulgaria, and Serbia experienced year-on-year declines.

China's exports of sewing machinery products to the North American market reached 138 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.02%. This accounts for 3.47% of the industry's total export value during the same period, which is a decrease of 0.38 percentage points compared to the previous year. Among these exports, shipments to the United States totaled 126 million US dollars, marking a year-on-year growth of 3.50%.

In the Oceania market, China's exports of sewing machinery products reached 15.78 million US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 18.23%. This accounted for 0.40% of the industry's total export value during the same period, with the share dropping by 0.17 percentage points compared to the previous year. Among these, exports to Australia totaled 11.85 million US dollars, down 20.41% year-on-year.

Main export markets of China's sewing machinery industry from January to December 2025

3.Import Overview

According to the latest customs data, China's total import value of sewing machinery products reached 592 million US dollars from January to December 2025, a year-on-year increase of 38.98%. Among various product categories, embroidery machines, pre- and post-sewing equipment, and household sewing machines all saw growth in import value, while the import volume and value of industrial sewing machines and parts continued to decline. Specifically, the import volume of industrial sewing machines was 27,500 units, with an import value of 67.39 million US dollars, down 42.99% and 23.61% respectively year-on-year. The import volume of pre- and post-sewing equipment was 18,900 units, with an import value of 412 million US dollars, up 2.30% and 81.70% respectively. The import value of sewing machine parts was 84.98 million US dollars, a decrease of 4.10% year-on-year. The import volume of household sewing machines was 147,300 units, with an import value of 15.25 million US dollars, up 21.98% and 49.25% respectively. The import volume of embroidery machines was 919 units, with an import value of 13.07 million US dollars, up 26.93% and 3.75% respectively.

In December, China's imports of sewing machinery products reached $40.17 million, an increase of 5.70% compared to the same month last year, and up 44.81% from the previous month. Breaking that down: the country imported 2,601 industrial sewing machines, a year-on-year increase of 2.77% and a month-on-month increase of 30.38%. The value of these imports was $6.5 million, down 19.97% from last year but up 39.89% from November. For pre- and post-sewing equipment, 722 units were imported, a sharp drop of 74.10% from last year, but the import value rose to $23.72 million, a year-on-year increase of 27.48%. Imports of sewing machine parts and components totaled $7.71 million, down 23.20% compared to last year. Lastly, 36 embroidery machines were imported, with a total value of $860,000, marking a significant jump of 89.47% in volume and 348.08% in value from the previous year.

Monthly Import Values for China's Sewing Machinery Industry

In 2025, China imported sewing machinery products from 43 countries and regions, with Japan, Germany, and Vietnam accounting for over 80% of the total industry import value. Specifically, imports from Japan reached $363 million, a year-on-year increase of 54.30%, making up 61.35% of the industry's total import value. Imports from Germany amounted to $92.69 million, up 106.71% year-on-year, representing 15.65% of the total. Imports from Vietnam stood at $59.56 million, a year-on-year increase of 19.60%, accounting for 10.06% of the total import value.

Main Market Trends of China's Sewing Machinery Industry Imports from January to December 2025