The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly released the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Light and Textile Industry" on September 22, laying out a roadmap for the high-quality development of the light and textile industry over the next five years. The core goal set by the plan is: by 2030, the operating revenue of enterprises above designated size should strive to exceed 30 trillion yuan, further consolidating and enhancing China's position and competitiveness in the global industrial division of labor.

According to disclosures, as of the end of 2025, the number of enterprises above designated size, operating revenue, total profits, and total industry export value in the light and textile industry accounted for 34.5%, 19.8%, 20.8%, and 32% of all industry, respectively, continuously consolidating its position as a major manufacturing country.

In terms of innovation, the plan lists "enhancing industrial innovation capacity" as the first of its main tasks, proposing to encourage enterprises to increase investment in independent research and development, advance research on key generic technologies, accelerate the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, and establish a competitiveness evaluation index system for light and textile enterprises.

The transformation of production methods is also placed in a prominent position. In response to the reality of rising factor costs and tightening resource and environmental constraints, the plan requires accelerating intelligent and green transformation, including developing large models for vertical fields in key industries, guiding enterprises to carry out green product design, and specifically setting up two special columns: "Main Directions for AI Empowerment" and "Directions for Green and Low-Carbon Transformation and Upgrading." A responsible person from the China National Textile and Apparel Council stated that the plan deploys content such as building a green supply chain system and a waste textile recycling system, and strengthening AI applications, which aligns with the new characteristics of the industry in its new stage.

On the supply side, the plan emphasizes enhancing supply-demand adaptability, proposing to publish catalogs for promoting age-friendly products and services, research and formulate guidelines for building the light and textile standards system, and systematically cultivate Chinese consumer famous brands. Special columns focus on fields such as infant and child products, youth products, fashion trendy products, and pet products, clarifying specific directions such as innovative smart toys, children's watches, positioning baby strollers, and pet bathroom facilities, while also proposing the development of traditional Chinese beverages, functional drinks, and health foods.

According to the plan, by 2030, the overall labor productivity of light and textile enterprises above designated size should exceed 400,000 yuan per person, industrial clusters should reach about 550, and the penetration rate of digital production equipment in the industry should exceed 63%. In addition, over the next five years, more than 30 mandatory national standards will be formulated or revised, and the "Textile+" action will be implemented. A responsible person from the Consumer Goods Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that the next step will be to refine task implementation, strengthen monitoring and evaluation, and ensure the plan's implementation.

For the old clothing and textile recycling industry, the plan explicitly incorporates the waste textile recycling system into its green transformation deployment, meaning that this segment, which has long relied mainly on exports and informal recycling, is expected to gain more systematic policy support and a collaborative position in the industrial chain over the next five years.

Source: Striving for revenue exceeding 30 trillion yuan by 2030! How will the "15th Five-Year Plan" light and textile industry improve quality and efficiency and benefit people's livelihoods? · Originally published on 2026-09-27