In the first nine months of 2013, Scottish tweed exports to China rose to a record high, reaching £9.7 million, which is higher than all of the exports in the previous year. China’s overall wool importsincreased by 6.5 percent to $2.5 billion the first 11 months of 2013.
Scotland is especially poised to benefit from this increased demand. According to a report by Financial Times, a growing number of Chinese consumers are buying traditional Scottish clothing and using tweed for upholstery in their homes. One of the main attractions of tweed among consumers in China is its British heritage, said industry professionals.
Wool and cashmere clothing company Johnstons of Elgin has appointed special agents in Beijing in Shanghai, and told the Financial Times that Chinese customers love the brand’s 215-year-old “history and heritage.” Meanwhile, the chairman of the tweedmakers of the Isle of Harris said that “provenance, British [identity], and quality” are the aspects that give tweed brands “a good chance” in China.