2024

Unearthing Market Potential and Expanding Industry Channels - The 2023 China Sewing Machinery Industry Conference and the Third Meeting of the Eleventh Council of the China Sewing Machinery Association Successfully Convened

On November 30, the 2023 China Sewing Machinery Industry Conference and the Third Session of the Eleventh Council of the China Sewing Machinery Association, themed "Deepening Market Potential and Expanding Industrial Tracks," was grandly held in Xiamen, Fujian. Leaders including Yang Xiaojing, President of the China Sewing Machinery Association, attended the meeting, along with representatives from vice-president and specially invited vice-president units, supervisory board members, executive directors and director units, members of the Market Work Committee, new members in 2023, and some sewing machine companies, totaling over 200 participants. The meeting was chaired by Chen Ji, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Association.

The meeting reviewed and adopted the "2023 Annual Work Report" delivered by Chen Ji. In 2023, based on the new stage and situation of high-quality development of China's sewing machinery industry, the Association adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, took the construction of a modern industrial system as the main line, fully implemented the new development philosophy, and made every effort to build a new development pattern for the industry and the association. Throughout the year, the Association focused on implementing central government's deployments and optimizing development guidance, focusing on "specialized, refined, and new" enterprises, assisting in corporate transformation, organizing scientific research, strengthening industry foundations, practicing the "three products" strategy, enhancing quality and brands, innovating organizational forms, cultivating professional talents, organizing professional exchanges, and promoting industrial synergy as the main line. It also focused on integrating media resources, deepening information publicity, optimizing organizational planning, organizing the CISMA exhibition, promoting cooperation between industry and education, disseminating sewing arts culture, improving internal mechanisms, and achieving outstanding achievements in team building, combining the actual development of the industry and the urgent needs of enterprises, effectively doing a good job in various service work. In 2024, the Association will continue to fully implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, focusing on the strategic goals of high-quality development and new industrialization, taking multiple measures and deepening work in the new historical stage and construction cycle, and continuing to lead the industry and enterprises to achieve sustainable development.

The meeting heard the 2023 industry economic situation analysis delivered by Wu Jiling, Vice President of the Association. In the first three quarters, overall industrial production showed a contraction trend. In the first nine months, the total industrial output value of 100 enterprises in the industry decreased by 5.81% year-on-year. The annual total industrial machine output is expected to be around 5.5 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 12%, showing a characteristic of "sales exceeding production," with significant inventory reduction. In terms of the market, domestic demand remained weak, but the rate of decline narrowed significantly. Exports declined overall, with market polarization. According to preliminary estimates by the Association, the industry's export value in 2023 will be approximately US$2.9 billion, down 15% year-on-year. Among them, exports to Africa and Europe showed year-on-year growth. It is worth noting that in the third quarter, indicators such as industrial production and sales gradually showed a narrowing decline and a monthly rebound, showing a stabilizing and improving trend, bringing hope for the industry to emerge from the downturn next year and enter recovery growth.

The meeting specially invited Tang Duoduo, director of the Macroeconomic Research Office of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, to give an in-depth interpretation of the current state of macroeconomic development and future policy orientation under the "triple superposition" of the transition period of China's development, frequent external shocks, and deleveraging of private sectors. Tang Duoduo's presentation of views such as "China's economic growth rate is stabilizing, policy outlook, expected rebound in foreign trade, and positive repair of residents' asset-liability ratios" greatly boosted the confidence of the representatives attending the meeting.

In line with the theme of "Deepening Market Potential and Expanding Industrial Tracks," Ruan Jixiang, founder and chairman of Jack Shares; Liu Hangdong, chairman of Suzhou Qiongpairite Technology Co., Ltd.; Ru Shuiqiang, general manager of Beijing Dahou Technology Co., Ltd.; and Li Xiaofeng, director and executive vice president of Shanggong Shenbei Group, gave keynote speeches. Combining their own development experiences, the entrepreneurs shared in depth their insights on innovation-driven approaches to adapt to changes in downstream markets, accelerating digital integration to address process bottlenecks, electromechanical collaborative architecture for digital sewing, strengthening cooperation to build a new industrial ecosystem, proactively cultivating, guiding the market, discovering needs, and expanding application to explore blue ocean space. This sparked strong resonance and discussions among the attendees.

Qiu Yangbo, Assistant to the Vice President of Xtep Supply Chain, analyzed the pain points of the application of intelligent sewing in the footwear and apparel industry from the perspective of actual production, and explained from the user's perspective the digital-driven transformation and upgrading of sewing equipment in a flexible manufacturing environment, as well as the future development direction and implementation path of sewing equipment, proposing a new model of "Internet of Things + Data Connection + Intelligent Connection," aiming to achieve a win-win goal of "continuous evolution and creation of maximum marginal profit."

In his concluding remarks, President Yang Xiaojing gave high praise to the meeting, noting that it was compact, practical, and highly strategic, guiding, and forward-looking. Regarding the future development of industry enterprises, Yang Xiaojing proposed requirements from five specific development directions: adjusting development strategies, systematically clarifying positioning, strengthening innovation-led development, improving the scientific research system, strengthening market development, deepening potential and expanding tracks, accelerating strengthening the foundation and supplementing the chain, building a modern industrial system, and taking the initiative to take responsibility and shape the entrepreneurial spirit. He hoped that industry enterprises will work together to use innovative measures and solid achievements to answer the questions of history, the times, and the future, and work together to achieve the grand goal of becoming a leading power as soon as possible.

All representatives reviewed and adopted the "Decision of the China Sewing Machinery Association on Developing New Members," the "Decision on Approving Changes in Member Status," and the "2023 Association Financial Report." Membership certificates were also awarded to 20 new member companies in 2023, including Shanghai Yi Luo Mold Co., Ltd.