China’s leather garment exports surged 41.4% to $68.68 million in the first half of 2026, bucking a broader slump in the world’s largest leather and footwear industry, according to trade data released by APLF and reported by Leathernews.org.
Sales revenue at key Chinese leather garment enterprises reached 2.9 billion yuan, about $433.5 million, between January and June, up 25.5% from a year earlier. Imports of leather garments rose 31.3% to $64.76 million over the same period, leaving the segment’s trade surplus narrow at roughly $3.9 million. Read Here
The jump contrasts sharply with the wider industry, which includes leather, footwear, garments, bags and cases. Total exports slipped 5.4% to $40.91 billion in the first half of 2026, while imports edged up 4.9% to $7.9 billion, the data showed.
Also Read: China’s Footwear Exports Plunge 10.3% to $15.7 Billion in Jan-May 2026
Footwear, the industry’s largest category, has borne the brunt of the weakness. According to the China Leather Industry Association, leather footwear output fell 7.6% to 970 million pairs, while exports of leather-upper shoes dropped 8.7% in value to $3.28 billion. Overall footwear exports in the first quarter totaled $9.42 billion, down from $10.24 billion a year earlier, World Footwear reported.
Buyers are diversifying sourcing toward Vietnam, Indonesia and India, eroding China’s share in volume-driven categories, according to an industry roundup by MELEOR. India’s leather and footwear exports rose 25% to $5.7 billion in fiscal 2024-25, supported by government incentives, the roundup said, citing a NITI Aayog trade report.
Exports declined further through July, International Leather Maker reported, even as imports of raw materials ticked higher, suggesting domestic demand has not offset weaker overseas orders.
The garment segment’s strength stands apart from a sector still contending with soft global demand and rising competition from other Asian producers, leaving the outlook for the second half of the year uncertain for Chinese exporters.