BeijingJune 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As a nationally important textile, footwear, and apparel industry base, Quanzhou boasts a complete footwear and apparel industry chain and a mature industrial ecosystem. Its sportswear output accounts for approximately one-third of the national total, making it a key footwear and apparel industry hub in China.
Building on its manufacturing advantages, Quanzhou is further extending its reach into the fashion industry ecosystem. In March 2025, Quanzhou issued the “Three-Year Action Plan for Building Quanzhou into a ‘World Heritage Quanzhou Fashion Capital’ (2025–2027),” which outlines seven key measures to enhance the “six strengths” of fashion industry, fashion design, fashion culture, fashion commerce, fashion consumption, and fashion lifestyle. The goal is to establish a unique, international fashion industry ecosystem in Quanzhou, transforming it into a widely influential “Fashion Capital” representing China in dialogue with the world.
The plan simultaneously highlights “fashion industry strength” and “fashion culture strength,” emphasizing that the upgrade of Quanzhou’s footwear and apparel industry is not limited to improving manufacturing quality. Instead, it leverages Quanzhou’s profound Maritime Silk Road culture and intangible cultural heritage resources as key pillars for the fashion industry’s development, moving further toward “culture-empowered industry” and “brand value enhancement.”
Industrial cluster upgrades and full-chain quality improvements are driving Quanzhou’s footwear and apparel industry to transition from scale advantages to value advantages.
On one hand, leading enterprises are continuously enhancing their technological research and development capabilities. Anta is intensifying its investment in sportswear fabric R&D and building a global open innovation network, while Xtep is advancing its running ecosystem layout. Companies like 361° and Peak are expanding their product matrices in areas such as professional sports and outdoor consumption, gradually upgrading Quanzhou’s footwear and apparel industry from traditional OEM models to brand operation models. On the other hand, the synergy of the industry chain is steadily strengthening.
Currently, Quanzhou has formed a complete chain covering spinning and weaving, footwear materials, molding and manufacturing, packaging and logistics, and marketing channels. The collaborative advantages of upstream and downstream enterprises are evident, providing support for rapid product iteration and responsiveness to fashion consumption demands.
Building on a solid domestic market foundation, Quanzhou’s footwear and apparel enterprises have been accelerating the layout of overseas industry chains and sales networks in recent years. In addition to regularly held professional footwear and apparel exhibitions, cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, and localized operations have become key breakthrough directions.
In recent years, the Quanzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone has been promoting the “industrial cluster + cross-border e-commerce” model, introducing cross-border platform resources, building logistics systems such as “Quanzhou Warehouses,” and expanding overseas shipping routes including international liner services and air logistics. Customs authorities have carried out special actions to facilitate cross-border trade, further enhancing the international distribution capacity and efficiency of footwear and apparel products.