The move follows renewed China–US trade consultations and represents a calibrated easing designed to stabilise supply chains without relinquishing negotiating leverage. The step aligns with China’s reciprocity principle under the Tariff Law, Customs Law, and Foreign Trade Law of the People’s Republic of China.
The exemption mainly benefits technical fibres and advanced textile inputs such as aramid fibres, carbon fabrics, fluoropolymer coatings, and industrial composites used in protective clothing, filtration systems, aerospace applications, and specialised industrial textiles.
Standard textile segments, including cotton, yarn, and apparel, remain unaffected and continue under China’s MFN duty structure of up to 8 per cent.
According to the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), the US supplied approximately $590 million worth of textile materials to China in 2024, accounting for around 1.8 per cent of China’s total textile imports. Of this, roughly $210 million in high-performance materials had been subject to the 24 per cent surcharge now suspended, indicating targeted relief for sectors with limited domestic substitutes.
Analysts note the suspension will ease input costs for Chinese mills producing industrial and protective textiles, while enabling the gradual revival of imports from US suppliers such as DuPont, Milliken, and 3M. At the same time, the retention of the remaining 10 per cent duty signals China’s continued commitment to protecting strategic segments, including industrial nonwovens, defence-grade fabrics, and energy-focused composite materials.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)
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