In the world’s shifting trade tapestry, Asia’s textile sector is both the anchor and the frontier. For decades, China’s ascent after WTO accession in 2001 defined the geography of global garment production. By 2010, it commanded over a third of world clothing exports, its vertically-integrated supply chain setting the benchmark for cost, speed, and scale. But dominance breeds dependency, and dependency invites risk.Over the past five years, rising wages in China, Western import bans on Xinjiang cotton, and successive rounds of US Section 301 tariffs have accelerated a quiet but decisive shift — buyers and brands are reweaving their sourcing maps, and a cluster of Asian nations is stepping into the loom.
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