One in every five sweaters worldwide is made in Dalong, Dongguan—this is not a slogan but a fact revealed at the 95th International Wool Textile Conference. On June 24, the industry event opened in Dalong, where Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), delivered a keynote speech. He not only unveiled the town’s production of 900 million garments annually and a full-industry-chain transaction value exceeding 72 billion yuan but also systematically outlined a roadmap for the global wool textile industry to transition from a manufacturing hub to a dual-engine model driven by intelligence and experience.
Manufacturing Strength: China’s Determined Foundation
China’s textile industry continues to deepen its scale advantage. Annual fiber processing volume remains above 60 million tons, with garment production exceeding 70 billion pieces—both accounting for over 50% of global totals. Exports have surpassed $300 billion for six consecutive years. Behind these numbers is the robust export of intermediate goods like chemical fibers and fabrics, providing irreplaceable stability to global supply chains. R&D investment intensity among large-scale enterprises rose from 1% at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan to 1.3% in 2024, with high-performance fiber capacity now accounting for more than one-third of the global total, expanding from traditional textiles to high-end fields like aerospace and marine engineering.
The penetration of smart manufacturing is striking. The digitalization rate of key links in the industry has reached 63.2%, exceeding the national manufacturing average. In 2024, 30 textile enterprises were included in the 5G factory list. The case of Jiangsu Yueda Textile is illustrative: through smart manufacturing, the number of workers per 10,000 spindles decreased by about 70%, labor productivity more than quadrupled, unit energy consumption dropped 15%, and processing costs fell 26%. These data indicate that the competitiveness of the wool textile industry is no longer solely dependent on labor costs but is being redefined by new factors such as data, algorithms, and computing power.
Smart Economy: From 'Weaving Fabric' to 'Weaving Data'
Sun Ruizhe emphasized the reshaping of the industry by the smart economy. The global AI market reached $757.58 billion in 2025 and is expected to exceed $900 billion by 2026. In China, daily token calls surpassed 140 trillion, a year-on-year increase of over 40%. These technological variables are changing the cost structure and organizational models of the wool textile industry. Semir’s AI-assisted design system increased overall design and development efficiency by 35%, with pattern design efficiency rising over 200%; Bosideng’s 'AI Aesthetic Brain' reduced sample development costs by more than 60%.
More disruptively, AI agents are becoming 'digital employees.' IDC predicts that by 2030, billions of AI agents will enter the workforce. For wool textile enterprises, this means that the entire process—from spinning and weaving to finishing—could achieve unmanned or human-machine collaboration. Anuoqi’s layout provides a sample of an industrial ecosystem: from dyes to inks to digital printing, AI design, and IP cultural creativity, forming a closed loop of 'data + computing power + manufacturing.'
Experience Economy: Value Anchors Under Consumer Segmentation
The global consumer market is undergoing ecological restructuring. Consumers are increasingly segmented, with health, emotional connection, and self-expression becoming core demands. The wool textile industry naturally possesses the genes of 'natural fiber + health attributes,' highly aligned with the experience economy. The conference theme, 'Smart Weaving the Future: The Health and Digital Life of Wool,' responds to this trend. When natural fibers meet digital technology, and health consumption integrates with green responsibility, the wool textile industry is no longer just a continuation of a classic industry but a growth engine driven by new technology, new consumption, and new culture.
The global popularity of Chinese-style fashion also offers new opportunities for wool brands. Anta and Shein have entered the world’s top 500 brands, while Hengli, Weiqiao, Erdos, and Shenzhou International are deepening global cooperation through cross-border M&A and multi-brand operations. For the wool textile industry, enhancing brand value means a leap from OEM to ODM and then to OBM, requiring increased investment in design, marketing, and distribution.