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Abstract Labor shortage and sharp increase in labor costs have had a great impact on China’s traditional labor-intensive industries. The competitiveness of traditional manufacturing enterprises which have long relied on cheap labor has declined in China’s eastern areas. Facing the new economic normal, how should the traditional labor-intensive industries like textiles and clothing industry deal with it? As one of the most important textile and garment production bases in China, Ningbo occupies an important position in the textile and garment market both at home and abroad. Discussing the development of Ningbo textile and garment industrial cluster and the coping strategies of enterprises is of practical significance to the study of the transformation and upgrading and industrial transfer of traditional labor-intensive industries. Based on the case of Ningbo textile and garment industry cluster and two representative enterprises, this paper analyzes the strategies implemented by different enterprises in the face of rising costs.
The study found that Ningbo textile and garment industry cluster is currently facing problems such as labor shortage, rapid rise of labor cost, increasing competitive pressure at home and abroad and so on. In order to deal with these problems, Ningbo textile and garment enterprises, based on their own business, have been working on management improvements in technology upgrading, branding and diversification strategies, transfering to less developed countries or regions and other strategies to reduce the business risks caused by rising costs. At the same time, this paper compares the conditions for enterprises to transfer to central and western China and other developing countries from the aspects of labor cost, tariff and terms of trade, supporting facilities and business environment. Overall, industrial transfer can alleviate the pressure brought to enterprises by rising labor prices and potential trade barriers. However, the deficiencies in labor quality, supporting facilities and business environment in central and western China and other developing countries have increased the management cost and logistics cost of enterprises. In addition, this paper further discusses the development status and transformation path of different textile and garment enterprises, and finds that in addition to upgrading to both ends of the “smile curve”, the technological progress and innovation in the processing trade link are of great significance to the development of enterprises and the evolution of clusters.
In view of the above conclusions, this paper gives corresponding policy suggestions: the local government of traditional labor-intensive industrial areas should encourage enterprises to transfer low value-added links to high value-added links, and continuously improve their independent innovation ability. The local government of the industrial undertaking place should improve the government and business environment and improve the supporting facilities.
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Published: 21 October 2021
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