Silk has been a precious commodity for centuries and its recent movement toward modernization can only improve the country’s silk production and trade. China is the world’s largest silk producer. In 2005, it accounted for 74 percent of global raw silk production and 90 percent of the world export market according to statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

The China National Silk Association identified that in order to maintain China’s competitive edge, significant upgrades to equipment, techniques, designs and colors should be made. Recent news reports have quoted China’s Ministry of Commerce repeating the same sentiments, urging producers to sharpen their competitive edges in technology and exploitation of high-end products. New targets for the development of the silk industry have been outlined by the ministry, raising the expectations of both silk pod and silk output by about 50 percent by 2010.