Zhangjiagang is leveraging its base of more than 3,000 textile enterprises to accelerate the transformation of its textile industry. In 2024, the sector recorded a profit surge of over 60 percent, and the city now aims to build a 100-billion-yuan ($13.92 billion) high-end textile cluster within the next three years.
The city's Deji subdistrict has emerged as China's largest spandex core-spun yarn hub, hosting more than 300 companies that together account for one-third of national output. Zhangjiagang has also established itself as a global center for wool spinning, with a complete industrial chain covering every stage of production.
Deji High-end Textile Industrial Park. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
Technology upgrades are reshaping the sector. Among the city's 380-plus textile companies above designated size, over 80 percent have already modernized their equipment to meet advanced industry standards. Zhangjiagang plans to push this transformation further through equipment renewal and vertical industrial parks, fostering six specialized clusters: wool spinning, cotton core-spun yarn, cotton printed fabrics, chemical and specialty fibers, specialty yarns, and knitwear, each expected to exceed 10 billion yuan in scale.
Local textile firms are also moving into new fields such as automotive, healthcare, and aerospace, while collaborations with global brands such as Prada, Disney, and Pop Mart are expanding the industry's international reach.
Over the past three years, the city has approved more than 25 high-end textile projects with combined investments exceeding 10 billion yuan, expected to generate annual output of over 20 billion yuan. With several billion-yuan projects now coming online, Zhangjiagang is on track to achieve its ambition of building a 100-billion-yuan high-end textile cluster.