On China visit, Armenian clothing makers meet global suppliers
Armenia sits at a crossroads between continents. But small businesses that making clothing locally struggle to find suppliers. As a relatively small market, they can also feel cut off from global trends.
That’s why the International Trade Centre (ITC) brought 12 small businesses to China, where they attended one of the world’s biggest textile fairs and visited the China Textile City, a global fabric hub.
Experts from the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre (TaF.tc) in Singapore provided guidance for the mission, which ran from 10 to 16 March 2025.
Armenian companies make all kinds of clothing, from bridal wear to jackets and lingerie. But not many companies make fabric and other supplies locally. Armenia clothing companies usually import from Turkey, Russia, Uzbekistan, and India. But high import costs can make buying from other countries an expensive proposition.
The China trip gave these businesses a chance to find new suppliers, from the world’s most prolific fabric centres. Working with experts made sure that they benefited from the tour, leaving with useful contacts for future business deals.
‘This knowledge gave a competitive edge in sourcing products that are in demand or emerging in the marketplace and also compare with our main sourcing markets,’ said Saten Khoshoyan, business development manager at Satenkar, which makes clothing under the Melante brand in Armenia.
Connecting with global textile leaders
At the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics trade fair, the Armenian businesses discovered the latest fabrics and accessories, gained industry insights, and established valuable business contacts.
Then in Keqiao, they visited China Textile City, one of the world’s largest and most influential hubs that’s home to over 40,000 textile companies. This gave the Armenian businesses an unparalleled selection of materials, ranging from high-quality knits to eco-friendly and sustainable textiles.
They met companies working with weaves, knits, printing, dyeing, and embroidery.
There they also met with over 100 Chinese textile manufacturers at a matchmaking event, organized in partnership with the Shaoxing Keqiao China Textile Overseas Market Promotion Association.
This strategic sourcing mission was conducted with the support of the EU-funded project at ITC known as Building Sustainable Apparel and Agribusiness Value Chains in Armenia.
