Beijing: The United States received fewer shipments of the majority of key Chinese consumer goods last month due to a triple whammy of slumped demand, manufacturing disruptions caused by the coronavirus and trade sanctions.
Chinese exports to the US plunged 12.6% year-on-year to US$47 billion in October, an 11.6% drop from September, despite the impending holiday shopping season, according to comprehensive Chinese customs data released on Sunday.
Top Chinese exports to the US, including mobile phones, clothing, toys and furniture, fell last month as a pandemic-driven consumer goods boom crumbled under the weight of rising prices and interest rates that reduced consumers' purchasing power.
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China earlier reported that total exports fell 0.3% in October from a year earlier, after a 5.7% increase in September. Chinese customs data released earlier this month showed that total exports to the US fell by 12.6% last month to reach US$47 billion.
A survey of 34 top US fashion brands found that 86% of respondents said they would reduce sourcing cotton apparel from China because of concerns about the new law.
Sheng Lu, an associate professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware, conducted the survey between April and June in collaboration with the United States Fashion Industry Association.
Still, Xinjiang exported US$24 million worth of goods to the US in October, with switches and other electrical parts displacing clothing and holiday decorations as traditional mainstays.
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Smartphone exports in the US declined month-on-month in October, despite the launch of Apple's new iPhone 14 series in mid-September. Smartphones are one of China's most valuable exports to the US.
China shipped 11.07 million smartphones to the US in October, about 580,000 fewer than in September, according to customs data. Last month, a coronavirus outbreak and lockdown at the world's largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, Henan province, led to a labor exodus and halted production.
Lower iPhone shipments have also been warned by Apple in time for the year-end holiday season. When operations peak, the plant operated by Foxconn Technology Group could accommodate 350,000 workers, but last week, it was still having trouble filling all available positions.
Veterans and grassroots cadres of the People's Liberation Army were urged by officials throughout Henan to join the assembly lines.
More than 100,000 people had submitted applications for the jobs as of Thursday, according to financial news outlet Yicai. Beijing has vowed to adhere to its zero-Covid strategy despite supply chain disruptions due to coronavirus controls, even though it announced a slight easing earlier this month.
According to the most recent rules, local governments must also ensure that logistics proceed without interruption and refrain from ordering businesses that are essential to the overall stability of the supply chain to halt operations during the outbreak .
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China reported more than 24,000 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including outbreaks in the country's three biggest cities of Beijing, Chongqing and Guangzhou.