From July 16^th to 18^th, 2013, the 14th China Textile and Apparel Trade Fair (hereinafter referred to as “The New York Fair”), sponsored by China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), organized by the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT TEX) and Messe Frankfurt American Subsidiary, kicked off at Javits Convention Center, in the city of New York, aiming at optimizing the structure of Chinese exhibitors, and presenting a competitive international image of Chinese textiles and apparel products to the outside world.

Meanwhile, Chinese exhibitors, representing as Chinese pavilion, also were involved in Apparel Sourcing, Texworld and Home Textile Sourcing exhibitions respectively in terms of the products category.

Zhang Yankai, Vice President of CNTAC, addressed the New York Fair, followed by Sun Guoxiang, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in New York City and Detlef Braun, Director of Board of Messe Frankfurt, Inc. Besides, Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. and Mr. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York all sent congratulatory letters to the Fair.

Cui Tiankai remarked: “China Textile and Apparel Trade Fair is playing an important role to further strengthen and promote the Sino-US bilateral trade ties. In the past 13 years, the Fair has witnessed great achievement obviously, and has already become one of the well-known textile and apparel industrial exhibitions worldwide with great influences.”

“Recent years, although the textile and apparel industry in China has faced a relatively complex domestic and international economic situation, with the support of industrial structural reorganization and adjustment, as well as transformation and upgrades, the industry have yielded positive results,” said Zhang Yankai, vice president of CNTAC during the opening ceremony, “Through the New York Fair, Chinese domestic enterprises could gain more opportunities to explore the American markets, promote overseas export and industrial upgrading significantly.”

According to General Administration of Customs, in the first six months of 2013, China’s textile and apparel exports jumped 12.06 percent year-on-year to 127.21 billion USD. Of them, the textile exports climbed 10.1 percent year-on-year to 51.16 billion USD, while clothing exports rose by 13.4 percent year-on-year to 76.05 billion USD.

Among other overseas export markets, from Jan. to Jun., 2013, the United States, as always, ranked the first with the total value of 18.18 billion USD, rising by 5.08 percent comparing with the same period of time in 2012. In 2012, China’s textile and apparel exports to the US amounted to 39.668 billion USD.

Till now, the New York Fair has already become one of the largest professional textile and apparel exhibitions in east coastal areas of the United States. With the targets of serving Chinese domestic textile and apparel industries and enterprises in overseas markets, the New York Fair provides the commercial platform to learn the American market, gradually expand into the mainstream sales markets in the U.S. and then establish the overall marketing networks. After continuously 14 years’development, the Fair has achieved great progresses and advancement in aspects of scales, products quality and internationalization.

“Each year, the New York Fair would highlight some exciting news,” introduced Lin Yunfeng, Vice Chairman of CCPIT TEX, “With the growth of 37% compared to the year before, a total of 477 Chinese exhibitors took part into the 14th New York Fair within a 5200 sqm-wide exhibition areas, nearly hitting a historical peak. Most of the Chinese domestic exhibitors were mainly from Shanghai, Shandong, Zheijiang, Jiangsu, Guangzhou, Tianjin and other cities.”

“As referring to exhibited products categories, this year, textile and apparel fabrics still are the main part with a larger proportion; however, the home textile fabrics, home textile products as well as the apparel products also saw obviously increase, especially comparing with the previous edition,” Lin added.

Furthermore, according to Lin, in order to better improve the quality of the Fair and the service for enterprises, during the Fair, CCPIT TEX and Messe Frankfurt made joint effort to promote the apparel and fabrics trend zone and organize high-level designers forums, so as to offer more inspirations for both Chinese and foreign fabrics and apparel designers. Meanwhile, the sparkling “Elite Exhibitor Program”, which has been created to identify those companies that have participated in at least three events at the International Apparel Sourcing Show, could help attendees and visitors to recognize and find the qualified exhibitors conveniently and efficiently.