Data on China’s trade in wool and wool products for December shows that China’s imports of raw and semi-processed wool jumped in December. Compared with a year earlier, total imports were up by 42%, with a 49% year-on-year leap in imports from Australia and a 93% jump in imports from South Africa. China’s imports from New Zealand had fallen for 14 out of the previous 15 months, but increased by 37% in December. After 12 consecutive months of declines, imports from Uruguay increased by 36%.

China’s exports of fabric were 78% higher in December than in December 2015, with a sharp rise in exports to the European Union, South Korea and ‘other’ destinations. However, China’s exports of other products declined in December – wool top was down by 11%, wool yarn was 30% lower, wool fabric exports were 4% down for the month and exports of wool sweaters were 16% lower.

Full details including analysis of China’s trade in wool products for the 2016 calendar year and charts showing the year-on-year % change in China’s trade in wool and wool products and China’s imports of raw wool by source country for July-December is included in the NCWSBA Weekly Newsletter for the week ending 24th February 2017, available to NCWSBA members.