Apr. 1, 2010 (China Knowledge) - The combined gross industrial output of the 53,300 textile enterprises of designated size and above surged 27.05% year on year to RMB 567.33 billion in the first two months of this year, according to statistics from the China National Textile And Apparel Council.

The council attributed the growth to an increase in domestic sales, a recovery in exports and low base figure recorded in the same period of last year.

The gross output of the chemical fiber sector surged 49.21% year on year during the period, while that of the textile machinery sector soared 71.04% from the corresponding period of last year.

However, the textile industry this year will face more pressure from rising labor and raw material costs and a possible appreciation of RMB, according to the council.

In the first two months, China's exports of textile and garments jumped 28.98% year on year to US$28.24 billion.