Impact of Sino-US Trade Friction on the Export Trade Behavior of Chinese Apparel and Textile Enterprises

This study, based on the US customs enterprise-level trade data from 2017 to 2021, employs a fixed effects model to empirically examine the dynamic impact of US tariff policy changes on the export behaviour of Chinese apparel and textile enterprises under the backdrop of Sino-US trade friction. The findings indicate that the US tariff hike policy significantly reduced the frequency of Chinese apparel and textile enterprises’ exports to the US, but prompted these enterprises to enhance the weight of single-batch exports by consolidating scattered orders, reflecting a strategic adjustment to spread fixed costs through centralized shipments. The research reveals that driven by external trade pressure, Chinese clothing and textile enterprises achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement by optimizing the export rhythm and expanding the single - batch scale. At the same time, they need to enhance their risk - resistance capabilities through industrial structure upgrading, market diversification, and global industrial chain layout. This paper makes up for the lack of empirical analysis of the micro - enterprise behavior in the textile and clothing industry in existing research, and provides a basis for the government to formulate industrial policies and for enterprises to optimize trade strategies.