Skip to main content
BoF Logo

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

China’s Fast-Fashion Capital Slows Down Under Trump’s Trade War

Garment factories in Guangzhou are struggling to manage a tempest of geopolitical and economic headwinds.
Female workers produce garments for export at a workshop of a garment manufacturer in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, China on March 8, 2025.
Trump's eye popping tariffs are set to hit manufacturers and workers in countries like China hard. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Lingering at a day market for labourers in Panyu, an urban village on the outskirts of Guangzhou, Ms Qiu looks dejected. She is looking for a local factory that will hire her for the day to sew clothes – cheap tops and dresses that will be churned out on to China’s e-commerce platforms, or bundled up for export to western shoppers. But she is not having much luck.

Please sign in to ensure you can read our agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice. Or get in touch at support@businessoffashion.com if you experience difficulties.

In This Article

© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Global Markets
A guide to unlocking opportunity in emerging and frontier fashion markets.

How Oil Shock Fears Are Rippling Through Fashion | The Debrief

This week on The Debrief, BoF’s Shayeza Walid and Cathaleen Chen unpack why the war in Iran and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz matter to fashion — from synthetic fibre costs and factory energy shortages to freight surcharges and weakening consumer confidence.


Oil Shock: What Fashion Needs to Know

Monday’s price spike proved short-lived, but volatile markets, supply disruptions, rising freight costs and shaky consumer confidence have put the global fashion industry on edge.


view more
Latest News & Analysis
Unrivalled, world class journalism across fashion, luxury and beauty industries.

Who Won Fashion’s Red Carpet Season of Change

Sunday night’s Oscars concluded an awards season that fashion’s biggest labels used to show off their new creative game. BoF breaks down what we learned about brands’ celebrity strategies.


VIEW MORE
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON