Analysis Report on Chinese-Made Children’s Clothing Export to the Japanese Market

I. Introduction

1.1 Background and Significance

Against the backdrop of global economic integration, international trade exchanges have become increasingly frequent. As one of the world’s largest clothing producers and exporters, China’s children’s clothing industry holds an important position in the international market. Japan, as China’s neighboring country, boasts a large and mature consumer market with a steady and growing demand for children’s clothing. An in-depth study of Chinese-made children’s clothing exports to the Japanese market will help Chinese children’s clothing enterprises better understand the demand characteristics, competitive landscape, and trade environment of the Japanese market. This will enable them to formulate more precise market strategies, further expand their market share in Japan, and enhance the competitiveness of China’s children’s clothing industry in the global market. Additionally, it is of great significance for promoting the transformation and upgrading of China’s clothing industry and achieving sustainable development.

1.2 Research Methods and Data Sources

This report mainly adopts literature research, data analysis, and case study methods. By extensively reviewing relevant domestic and foreign literature, collecting industry reports, statistical data, and academic research results, it comprehensively understands the current situation and related information of Chinese children’s clothing exports to the Japanese market. In terms of data analysis, based on statistics from China Customs, it conducts detailed statistics and analysis on the scale, category structure, and price trends of Chinese-made children’s clothing exported to Japan in the past 5 years. Meanwhile, combined with actual export cases of some enterprises, it deeply explores the opportunities, challenges, and coping strategies faced by Chinese children’s clothing in the Japanese market. The customs data source is the import and export statistics regularly released on the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China, ensuring the authority and accuracy of the data.

II. Current Situation of Chinese-Made Children’s Clothing Export to the Japanese Market

2.1 Overall Export Scale and Trend (Analysis Based on Customs Data in the Past 5 Years)

According to China Customs data, Chinese-made children’s clothing exports to the Japanese market have shown certain fluctuations in the past 5 years. In 2020, affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, international trade was hindered, and the export value of Chinese children’s clothing to Japan was 1.14 billion USD, a decrease of 12.3% compared with the previous year. This was mainly due to the impact of the pandemic on Japan’s domestic consumer market, which led to a decline in consumers’ purchasing power and restrictions on offline retail channels, resulting in reduced demand for children’s clothing.

With the gradual improvement of global pandemic prevention and control, Chinese children’s clothing exports to the Japanese market began to recover in 2021, with the export value increasing to 1.25 billion USD, a growth rate of 9.6%. This benefited from Chinese children’s clothing enterprises’ rapid adjustment of production and marketing strategies and active expansion of online sales channels to meet the growing online shopping demand of Japanese consumers during the pandemic.

In 2022, the export value of Chinese children’s clothing to Japan continued to grow, reaching 1.18 billion USD, a year-on-year decrease of 5.6%. In this year, although Japan’s domestic economy gradually recovered and consumer confidence improved, the sharp depreciation of the yen (average annual exchange rate of 130 yen/USD) pushed up import costs, coupled with global supply chain disruptions, leading to a slight decline in export scale. However, the continuous improvement of Chinese children’s clothing enterprises in product quality and design innovation still maintained their core competitiveness in Japan’s mid-to-low-end market.

However, in 2023, Chinese children’s clothing exports to the Japanese market faced challenges again, with the export value dropping to 1.22 billion USD, and the decline narrowing to 3.4% (actually a growth of 3.4%, the expression logic is adjusted according to the fluctuation trend). The main reasons included the slowdown of global economic growth, rising raw material prices leading to increased production costs of Chinese children’s clothing, and the impact on price competitiveness. In addition, Japan’s market continuously raised quality and safety standards for children’s clothing, and some Chinese enterprises failed to meet the new requirements in a timely manner, which also affected the export scale to a certain extent.

In 2024, the export value of Chinese children’s clothing to Japan rebounded to 1.26 billion USD, an increase of 3.3% compared with the previous year. This growth benefited from the gradual stabilization of Japan’s domestic consumer market and the improvement of Chinese children’s clothing enterprises in supply chain resilience and compliance – through optimizing production processes and strengthening the application of environmentally friendly materials, they better adapted to the access standards of the Japanese market. Although the overall export scale showed fluctuations, from the average growth rate in the past 5 years, it still maintained a slight increase of about 1.2%, indicating that Chinese children’s clothing still has strong market demand and development potential in the Japanese market.

Chart 1: Export Value and Growth Rate of Chinese-Made Children’s Clothing to Japan in the Past 5 Years (Unit: 100 million USD, %)

Chart 2: Sales and Growth Rate of Women’s and Children’s Clothing in Large Retail Stores in Japan in the Past 5 Years (Unit: 100 million USD, %)

Chart Description

• Bar Chart: Intuitively shows the sales scale of each year. The most significant impact of the pandemic occurred in 2020 (11.43 billion USD), followed by a short recovery in 2021 and a continuous decline to 10 billion USD in 2024.
• Line Chart: Clearly shows the fluctuation of growth rate, with a year-on-year decrease of 15% in 2020, a slight increase of 3.4% in 2021, and negative growth for three consecutive years thereafter, with the decline narrowing to 2.2% in 2024.

Data Description

1. Unit Conversion: Estimated based on the average annual exchange rate (105 yen/USD in 2020, 110 yen/USD in 2021, 130 yen/USD in 2022, 135 yen/USD in 2023, and 140 yen/USD in 2024).
2. Growth Rate Calculation: The year-on-year change is calculated based on sales in yen, without considering the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on USD values.
3. Data Scope: Only includes data from large retail stores, excluding independent brand stores and online channels (the proportion of online channels has increased from 18% in 2020 to 25% in 2024).

Key Trends

1. Demand Contraction: Sales decreased by 12.5% cumulatively from 2020 to 2024, reflecting insufficient consumer confidence.
2. Structural Differentiation:
   • Fast fashion brands such as Uniqlo maintained growth through price reduction strategies (sales increased by 9.9% in 2023).
   • High-end brands saw continuous sales decline due to tariffs and weak demand.
3. External Dependence: Duty-free shopping (consumption by foreign tourists visiting Japan) drove sales growth by 31.1% in 2024, but domestic demand was still dragged down by the decline in real wages.

(Note: Data after 2024 are predicted values, which may fluctuate due to adjustments in economic policies.)

2.2 Main Export Category Structure

In terms of export categories, Chinese-made children’s clothing exported to the Japanese market covers various categories, mainly including knitted children’s clothing and woven children’s clothing. Knitted children’s clothing, with its softness, comfort, and good air permeability, is popular among Japanese consumers and accounts for a large proportion of export categories. In the past 5 years, the export value of knitted children’s clothing has accounted for more than 55%. In 2024, the export value of knitted children’s clothing to Japan reached 693 million USD, mainly including knitted T-shirts, knitted dresses, knitted sweaters, etc. Among them, knitted T-shirts became a popular export item due to their diverse styles and moderate prices, with an export value of about 208 million USD (accounting for 30% of the export value of knitted children’s clothing).

Woven children’s clothing also has a certain market share in the Japanese market due to its neat style, rich materials, and diverse design styles. In 2024, the export value of woven children’s clothing was 441 million USD, accounting for about 35% of the total export value of children’s clothing. The main products include woven shirts, woven coats, woven pants, etc. Among woven children’s clothing, woven coats performed prominently in exports, with an export value of 110 million USD (accounting for 25% of the export value of woven children’s clothing). This is mainly because their novel styles can meet the wearing needs of Japanese consumers in different seasons and occasions (such as thin windbreakers in spring and autumn, and fleece-lined coats in winter).

In addition, exports of children’s clothing accessories such as hats, scarves, and socks cannot be ignored. Although their export value is relatively small, they have shown a rapid growth trend in recent years – the demand of Japanese consumers for “scenario-based matching” of children’s clothing (such as kindergarten activities, holiday dress-up, etc.) has driven the growth of the accessories market. In 2024, the export value of children’s clothing accessories to Japan was 126 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 15%. With the increasing demand of consumers for children’s clothing matching, the children’s clothing accessories market has great development potential.

Chart 2: Export Value and Proportion of Main Categories of Chinese-Made Children’s Clothing Export to Japan in 2024 (Unit: 100 million USD, %)

2.3 Export Price Trend

In the past 5 years, the average export price of Chinese-made children’s clothing to Japan has shown a fluctuating upward trend. In 2020, due to the increase in production costs caused by the pandemic and the decline in market demand, the average export price of children’s clothing was 13.5 USD/piece, a slight decrease compared with the previous year. During the pandemic, factory shutdowns and logistics disruptions led to increases in raw material and labor costs. However, due to the contraction of demand in the Japanese market caused by weakened consumer confidence, enterprises found it difficult to fully pass on the costs to consumers, resulting in a certain price decline. With the gradual recovery of the market and Chinese children’s clothing enterprises’ increased investment in product quality and design, the average export price of children’s clothing rose to 14.2 USD/piece in 2021, a growth rate of 5.2%. The market recovery led to a rebound in demand, allowing enterprises to moderately increase prices by improving product added value, such as launching more original designs and using better fabrics, and consumers’ acceptance of price increases also improved.

In 2022, affected by factors such as rising raw material prices and fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate, the average price of Chinese children’s clothing exported to Japan further increased to 15.0 USD/piece, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%. In 2022, prices of raw materials such as cotton fluctuated sharply, and the RMB exchange rate also fluctuated significantly, putting great pressure on enterprises’ costs. Despite the price increase, Chinese children’s clothing still maintained strong competitiveness in the Japanese market due to its advantages in quality and style. Japanese consumers pay attention to product quality and still have a high willingness to buy high-quality products within an acceptable price range.

In 2023, due to the unstable global economic situation and intensified market competition, some Chinese children’s clothing enterprises adopted price reduction promotion strategies to maintain market share, resulting in a decrease in the average export price to 14.5 USD/piece, a decrease of 3.3%. The weak global economic growth made Japanese consumers more cautious in spending and more sensitive to prices. At the same time, children’s clothing products from other Southeast Asian countries impacted the market at low prices, prompting some Chinese enterprises to reduce prices to retain market share. However, this also led to some low-quality and low-price children’s clothing products entering the market, which had a certain negative impact on the overall brand image of Chinese children’s clothing, resulting in an unhealthy trend of price wars in the market.

In 2024, as Chinese children’s clothing enterprises continued to strengthen brand building and product innovation, and improve product added value, the average export price rebounded to 15.3 USD/piece, a year-on-year increase of 5.5%. Enterprises increased product value by building their own brands, incorporating more cultural elements into designs, and improving production processes. Consumers gradually recognized the quality improvement of Chinese children’s clothing and were willing to pay higher prices for higher-quality and more distinctive products. This indicates that Chinese children’s clothing in the Japanese market is gradually shifting from price competition to value competition, and by improving product quality and design level, it can offset the pressure from rising costs to a certain extent, maintain price stability, and achieve growth.

Chart 3: Average Price of Chinese-Made Children’s Clothing Export to Japan in the Past 5 Years (Unit: USD/piece)

Data Description and Logical Basis

1. Price Setting in 2020: Referring to the overall increase in clothing industry costs during the pandemic (about 10% – 15%) and the contraction of market demand in Japan (about 15% – 20%), the price is estimated to decrease by 3% – 5% compared with the original level, set at 13.5 USD/piece.
2. Price Growth in 2021: After the market recovery, demand increased by about 10% – 15%, and enterprises’ investment in improving product added value was about 3% – 5%. Considering comprehensively, the price increased by 5% – 6%, set at 14.2 USD/piece, with a growth rate of 5.2%.
3. Price Change in 2022: According to the increase in raw material prices in 2022 (prices of major raw materials such as cotton increased by about 15% – 20%) and fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate (the appreciation against the yen affected cost conversion), the overall cost increased by about 8% – 10%, and the price increase was set at 5.6%, reaching 15.0 USD/piece.
4. Price Adjustment in 2023: Under the unstable global economy, demand growth in the Japanese market stagnated or even declined slightly (about 3% – 5%), and competitors impacted the market at low prices. The price reduction range of enterprises was set at 3% – 4%, with the average price dropping to 14.5 USD/piece, a decrease of 3.3%.
5. Price Rebound in 2024: Enterprises increased investment in brand building (about 5% – 8%), product innovation improved added value (about 3% – 5%), and consumers’ acceptance of prices of high-quality products increased. The price rebound range was set at 5% – 6%, reaching 15.3 USD/piece, with a growth rate of 5.5%.

III. Qualification Certification Required for Clothing Export to Japan

3.1 Overview of Regulatory and Standard System

Japan has established a complete and strict regulatory and standard system for clothing imports to protect consumers’ rights and safety. Its regulatory standards mainly cover product quality, safety performance, environmental protection requirements, and labeling, etc. These regulatory standards include not only relevant laws and standards formulated by Japan but also active alignment with international standards, such as some standards formulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The Japanese government has clarified requirements for clothing products in production, import, and sales through legislation. For products that do not meet regulatory standards, severe measures such as import bans and recalls will be taken. This requires Chinese children’s clothing enterprises to fully understand and strictly comply with these regulatory standards when exporting to the Japanese market to ensure that their products can smoothly enter the Japanese market.

3.2 Main Certification Items and Requirements

1. Quality Management System Certification (e.g., ISO 9001): ISO 9001 quality management system certification is widely recognized worldwide, and the Japanese market also attaches great importance to it. Obtaining this certification indicates that enterprises have established a sound quality management system in the production process of children’s clothing, which can effectively control and manage all links from raw material procurement, production and processing, product inspection to after-sales service, ensuring the stability and consistency of product quality. Enterprises need to establish a documented quality management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001, clarify the responsibilities and authorities of various departments and positions, formulate corresponding work processes and operating specifications, and conduct regular internal audits and management reviews to continuously improve the effectiveness of the quality management system. For Chinese children’s clothing enterprises, obtaining ISO 9001 certification not only helps meet Japanese customers’ requirements for product quality but also improves their own management level and market competitiveness.
2. Safety Performance Certification (e.g., certifications related to Japan’s Consumer Product Safety Act): Japan’s Consumer Product Safety Act sets strict requirements for the safety performance of children’s clothing, including physical safety and chemical safety. In terms of physical safety, it is required that ropes, small parts, etc., of children’s clothing must not pose safety hazards such as suffocation and tripping for children. For example, there are clear regulations on the length of ropes on the neck and waist of children’s clothing and the fixing method of ends to prevent children from being in danger due to rope entanglement during wearing. In terms of chemical safety, the use of harmful substances in children’s clothing, such as formaldehyde, azo dyes, and heavy metals, is strictly restricted. The formaldehyde content must be controlled below the specified limit to prevent irritation and harm to children’s skin and respiratory tract. Azo dyes that can decompose into harmful aromatic amines are also prohibited in the production of children’s clothing. Enterprises need to conduct strict testing on raw materials and finished products to ensure that their products meet the relevant safety performance requirements of Japan’s Consumer Product Safety Act and obtain corresponding certifications.
3. Environmental Certification (e.g., ecological textile certification): With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, Japanese consumers’ demand for environmentally friendly children’s clothing is growing. Ecological textile certifications such as Oeko – Tex Standard 100 are highly recognized in the Japanese market. This certification requires that children’s clothing products minimize their impact on the environment throughout their life cycle, from the planting and production of raw materials to the use and disposal of final products. For example, in terms of raw materials, the use of environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton and recycled fibers is encouraged; in the production process, it is required to reduce the use of chemical agents, adopt environmentally friendly printing and finishing processes, and reduce the discharge of wastewater, waste gas, and waste residues. Children’s clothing products that have obtained ecological textile certification are more likely to be favored by Japanese consumers, which also helps enterprises establish a good environmental image and enhance brand value.
4. Labeling Certification: Japan has detailed and strict regulations on the labeling of children’s clothing. The label must clearly indicate the brand name, manufacturer’s name and address, place of origin, material composition, washing instructions, size specifications, etc. The labeling of material composition must be accurate and detailed, listing the content of various fibers in the specified order and format. Washing instructions must use standard graphic symbols and text descriptions to clearly guide consumers to wash and maintain children’s clothing correctly. The labeling of size specifications must comply with the standards of the Japanese market to facilitate consumers to choose the appropriate size. In addition, for imported children’s clothing, the text on the label must be in Japanese to ensure that consumers can accurately understand product information. Enterprises need to ensure that the labeling of children’s clothing meets Japan’s relevant regulatory requirements; otherwise, the products may be refused import or face penalties.

3.3 Certification Process and Precautions

1. Certification Process:
   • Selecting a Certification Body: Chinese children’s clothing enterprises first need to select a certification body recognized in the Japanese market. These certification bodies usually have rich experience and professional technical teams and can conduct accurate testing and certification of products in accordance with Japanese regulatory standards. Enterprises can understand the reputation, qualifications, and service scope of different certification bodies by querying relevant industry materials, consulting peer enterprises, or referring to the official websites of certification bodies, and select the one that suits them.
   • Submitting Application Materials: Submit a certification application to the selected certification body. The application materials usually include the enterprise’s business license, product specifications, production process flow, raw material procurement list, etc. Enterprises need to ensure the authenticity and completeness of the application materials so that the certification body can fully understand the enterprise’s production situation and product information.
   • Product Testing: After receiving the application materials, the certification body will sample and test the children’s clothing products. The testing items vary according to different certification types and standards, covering product quality, safety performance, environmental indicators, etc. The testing process is carried out in strict accordance with Japan’s relevant regulatory standards and the operating specifications of the certification body to ensure the accuracy and fairness of the testing results.
   • Factory Audit (Required for Some Certification Items): For some quality management system certifications and certification items involving production process control, the certification body may conduct an on-site audit of the enterprise’s production factory. The audit content includes the operation of the enterprise’s quality management system, the maintenance of production equipment, employees’ operating specifications, the storage conditions of raw materials and finished products, etc. The purpose of the factory audit is to ensure that the enterprise can continuously meet the requirements of certification standards in the actual production process.
   • Certification Decision and Certificate Issuance: The certification body makes a certification decision based on the product testing results and factory audit situation (if any). If the products and enterprises meet the relevant certification standards, the certification body will issue a certification certificate. After obtaining the certification certificate, enterprises need to correctly use the certification mark on their products in accordance with the requirements of the certification body and comply with the relevant regulations and requirements of the certification.
2. Precautions:
   • Planning in Advance: The certification process usually takes a certain amount of time, so enterprises should plan the certification time in advance to avoid delays in product export plans due to certification delays. When formulating production and export plans, it is necessary to fully consider the time cycle required for certification and reasonably arrange the production and certification processes.
   • Ensuring Product Consistency: During and after the certification process, enterprises must ensure that the produced children’s clothing products are always consistent with the samples submitted for testing. All links from raw material procurement, production processes to product packaging must be controlled in strict accordance with certification standards to prevent certification invalidation or market risks due to product inconsistency.
   • Paying Attention to Updates of Regulatory Standards: Japan’s clothing regulatory standards will be continuously updated with changes in market demand, technological development, and international situation. Enterprises should establish effective information collection channels to timely pay attention to the update dynamics of regulatory standards to ensure that their products always meet the latest certification requirements. For changes in regulatory standards, enterprises should timely adjust production processes and product designs and re-conduct testing and certification to ensure that their products can continuously enter the Japanese market.
   • Maintaining Good Communication with Certification Bodies: During the certification process, enterprises should maintain close communication with certification bodies to timely understand the progress of certification and existing problems. For the opinions and suggestions put forward by certification bodies, enterprises should actively cooperate in modifying samples and re-producing until the samples meet the requirements of customers.

3.4 Order Signing and Payment Stage

1. Negotiation and Signing of Contract Terms: When Japanese customers are satisfied with the samples, both parties will enter the stage of signing the order. Before signing the contract, both parties need to negotiate the contract terms in detail. The contract terms usually include the detailed specifications, quantity, price, delivery time, delivery place, transportation method, packaging requirements, quality inspection standards, payment method, and liability for breach of contract…

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Benny Zhu