The status quo of China's rayon fabric exports to the U.S.

Recently, the newly elected U.S. President Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, which has drawn significant attention from industry insiders and raised concerns in the market about the global economic outlook and free trade. So, what is the situation regarding the export of rayon fabric to the United States?

The destinations of China's rayon grey fabric are dispersed. From Jan to Oct this year, the fabrics were exported to over 80 countries (regions), with Mauritania, Thailand, Italy, Indonesia, and Brazil being the top five. The export volume to those regions accounts for 60% of the total. From 2015 to 2023, the average export volume to the U.S. was 437,000 meters. In the first ten months of this year, exports to the U.S. ranked 49th, with a direct export volume of only about 73,000 meters, a year-on-year decline of 88.2%.

The destinations of dyed rayon fabric are even more diverse. From Jan to Oct this year, the fabrics were exported to over 120 countries (regions) worldwide, with Brazil, Mauritania, Indonesia, Iraq, and Somalia being the top five. The export volume to those regions accounts for 60% of the total. From 2015 to 2023, the average export volume to the U.S. was 7.928 million meters. In the first ten months of this year, exports to the U.S. ranked 44th, with a direct export volume of about 1.589 million meters, a year-on-year decline of 7.7%, accounting for 0.2%.

The destinations of printed rayon fabric are similar to those of dyed rayon fabric. From Jan to Oct this year, the fabrics were exported to over 110 countries (regions) worldwide, with Somalia, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Iraq, and Kenya being the top five. The export volume to those regions accounts for 57% of the total. From 2015 to 2023, the average export volume to the U.S. was 7.891 million meters. In the first ten months of this year, exports to the U.S. ranked 50th, with a direct export volume of about 1.425 million meters, a year-on-year decline of 21.8%, accounting for 0.09%.

After four years, Trump will officially take office on Jan 20, 2025. Based on some of his remarks during the campaign and after his election, the market is concerned that trade protectionism may rise again. It is expected that the "Trump 2.0 era" will have a certain impact on global domestic and foreign affairs. In recent years, global trade frictions and geopolitical risks have increased, impacting the stability of global supply chains. However, due to the highly dispersed export regions of China's rayon fabric, the reliance on a single market is not high. The direct export volumes of rayon fabric and materials to the U.S. are small. From Jan to Oct this year, the export volume of rayon grey fabric to the U.S. was about 73,000 meters, dyed rayon fabric exports were 1.59 million meters, and printed rayon fabric exports were around 1.43 million meters, totaling about 3.09 million meters, which is a negligible proportion. The subsequent situation remains to be observed further.