A worker check products at legging factory of Zhuji Aishanglin Knitting Co. Photo: Courtesy of Zhuji Aishanglin Knitting Co

The export volume to Europe of China-produced warm leggings has surged recently as heating costs are soaring due to the energy shortage on the continent. Multiple industry insiders told the Global Times that the export volume so far this year has surpassed the entire volume in 2021. 
Lu Huazhen, a representative from Zhuji Aishanglin Knitting Co, a legging manufacturer at Zhuji in East China’s Zhejiang Province, told the Global Times on Thursday that she had just received emails this morning from two European customers that asked her to apply thicker cloth in the inside liner of leggings that have not yet been delivered.

The sales volume of Lu’s company in the first nine months was greater than for the whole of 2021 at over 30 million yuan, and orders from Europe accounted for the majority. 

Lu said that her company usually receives orders for warm leggings at the beginning of each year, and the delivery period is from April to October.

Another industry insider named Lou Xuesong said the current situation was caused by increasing heating costs in Europe. “Orders for my factory are queued to May 2023, and the overall sales volume in 2022 has reached 3.6 million – the volume was around 3 million in 2021,” said Lou.

In addition, China-produced electric heaters are also in high demand in Europe. According to data provided by the Household Electric Appliances Branch under the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, China’s heater exports to Europe in the first eight months reached $695.63 million, up 25.28 percent year-on-year.

Global Times