On August 1, Xiaoli Town in Rongcheng County, Xiong'an New Area, launched a two-month autumn/winter apparel trade fair, with the main venue at Xiong'an Design Center and the production area at Dongxiaoli Village. For buyers, the fair's significance goes beyond new product launches—it signals that a county-level apparel industrial belt with over four decades of history is trying to redefine its growth logic through cross-border e-commerce, AI+3D design, and green fabrics.
Underlying Pressures for Industrial Belt Transformation
Xiaoli's apparel industry started as family workshops in the 1980s and has grown into a cluster specializing in middle-aged jackets, fleece, padded coats, and outdoor functional wear. However, local government officials admitted concerns during the opening ceremony: intensifying homogenized competition and an over-reliance on the domestic market. This structural problem is not unique to Xiaoli but is a common challenge for many county-level apparel belts in China—strong manufacturing but weak brand premium, ample capacity but limited market reach.
A speaker from the China National Textile and Apparel Council noted that domestic demand is under pressure, but overseas demand remains resilient. This implies that for industrial belts like Xiaoli, foreign trade is not an option but a necessity. Yet traditional OEM models are no longer viable; enterprises must reach end consumers through cross-border e-commerce and shorten R&D cycles through digital design to build new advantages in cost and responsiveness.
Four Key Upgrade Levers Behind the Fair
This fair is not just a product display but a platform for resource integration. The agenda clearly outlines four upgrade directions: cross-border e-commerce, AI+3D digital design, renewable green fabrics, and automated smart production lines. These correspond to market, R&D, materials, and production, forming a complete upgrade loop.
Cross-border e-commerce is the most urgent breakthrough. The Xiong'an Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Service Center held a policy briefing, detailing support for enterprises going overseas. The accompanying training covers platforms like Amazon, TikTok, Ozon, and Etsy, including a "one-person company" (OPC) model. This means that for local SMEs, the barrier to going overseas is being systematically lowered—they can attempt small-batch, multi-frequency cross-border sales without building a dedicated team or making heavy investments.
R&D transformation is equally critical. Lingdi Technology showcased AI+3D digital fashion technology that compresses sampling cycles from weeks to days. For autumn/winter apparel, which relies on quick response, this allows companies to adapt to overseas market changes more flexibly and reduce inventory risk. Meanwhile, Jinyi Chemical Fiber promoted recycled polyester (rPET) fabrics, addressing the rigid demand for sustainable supply chains in Western markets—without green certification, many cross-border orders cannot enter large retailers' procurement lists.
Synergy of Regional Brand
Notably, the fair attracted over 100 local garment manufacturers and full-chain participants, including cross-border platforms, industrial parks, and smart equipment suppliers. During the roundtable dialogue, participants discussed how to empower Rongcheng's apparel industry from their respective strengths. This government-enterprise-research collaboration model provides a resource pool that individual SMEs cannot access alone.
From a competitive perspective, Xiaoli's attempt offers a replicable sample: leveraging the regional brand "Xiaoli Apparel" as endorsement, using the fair as an aggregator, and packaging dispersed manufacturing capabilities for export. This approach gives better bargaining power and resilience than individual companies. For buyers, it means future interactions will not be with isolated factories but with an industrial cluster capable of integrated design, production, compliance, and logistics.