As Taiwan's textile and garment exports continue to weaken, the Taiwan Textile Federation led five Taiwanese textile companies to New York, holding a business matching meeting at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York to connect directly with local brand buyers. According to Textile Federation statistics, Taiwan's textile and garment exports in August 2026 amounted to US$509 million, a year-on-year decrease of 8.8%; cumulative exports for the first eight months totaled US$3.907 billion, down 7.2% year-on-year.

Key Points

  • Five Taiwanese textile companies went to New York to attend the Textile Federation's business matching meeting and exchange with local brand buyers.
  • In August 2026, Taiwan's textile and garment exports were US$509 million, down 8.8% year-on-year; cumulative exports for the first eight months were US$3.907 billion, down 7.2% year-on-year.
  • Companies' strategies focus on functional, niche, and more difficult-to-produce fabrics; follow-up visits and tracking are the key to orders.

Sun Liang-fu, director of the Republic of China's Investment and Trade Service Office in the United States, pointed out at the matching meeting that the core competitiveness of Taiwan's textile industry lies in functionality, high quality, innovative R&D, sustainable materials, and rapid customization. Sports, outdoor, and functional fabrics have already become important supply sources for many international brands. He also mentioned that U.S. buyers are placing greater emphasis on supply chain stability and resilience, and expect Taiwanese companies to upgrade from mere suppliers to partners in joint brand innovation.

Asia-Pacific textile representative Hsu Ming-hung said that the organizers provided the brand list in advance, allowing companies to research buyers' needs beforehand and quickly select corresponding fabrics on site—for example, if a buyer is looking for fabric for men's Polo shirts for different seasons, they can precisely display accordingly. He believes that Taiwanese companies should focus on fabrics that are harder to produce or have special characteristics in order to develop new brand customers. Speaking of tariffs, Hsu Ming-hung explained that his company mainly supplies fabrics, which are shipped according to brand designation to garment factories in Thailand, Indonesia, or India, where they are made into clothing and then exported to the United States, so the direct impact currently felt is relatively limited.

Yang Ming-hsien, head of Yang's Enterprise, judged that supply chain relocation is a gradual process: basic products are easier to move to other production locations first, while complex products require more time. Companies should adjust based on their own products, customer base, and position in the industrial chain. This was his first time participating in the matching meeting. He believes that after screening, matching between buyers and sellers is more targeted, and the New York trip also allows him to visit existing customers along the way.

Facing the advantage of large-scale mass production by mainland Chinese companies, Huang Chung-hsin, representative of Chongyue Industrial, said that his company chooses to focus on niche markets and is willing to take on smaller-volume orders. However, it is difficult to immediately judge results from on-site exchanges; the contacts and visits over the next few months are the key to success or failure. He revealed that the company participates in more than ten exhibitions a year to continuously reach customers: "If you don't do it, you definitely have no chance; only by doing it do you have a chance."

Chi Chih-hsuan, sales representative of Yuyi Industrial, pointed out that market changes are not only due to tariff factors, but also include adjustments in production conditions and division of labor among countries; drawing on experience in the U.S. market, the company exchanges needs and trends with customers and seeks cooperation directions together.

Against the backdrop of consecutive export declines and supply chain realignment, this kind of face-to-face matching meeting is an attempt by Taiwan's small and medium-sized textile companies to bypass traditional channels and directly reach brand buyers; however, from on-site negotiations to actual orders, a long cycle of customer tracking is still required, and short-term export data is unlikely to reverse quickly.

Source: Export Decline: Taiwanese Textile Companies Come to New York to Explore Business Opportunities | World Journal · Originally published on 2026-10-03