By the end of 2008, the import and export licensing bureau of the Ministry of Commerce of the United Kingdom has issued a Notice No. 2767th, which is responsible for the trade in textiles and clothing. Since January 1, 2009, when importing textiles and garments originating in China to the United Kingdom, British Importers no longer need to apply for import licences.

For the origins of the modern textile and garment industry, the Chinese latecomer has brought and continues to bring new changes.

　　歷史與現(xiàn)實間的英國紡織服裝業(yè)

In 1733, the British John Kay invented the shuttle, and a textile worker could finish all the work on the loom. In 1771, the first modern factory in the United Kingdom was built by Clapton in 1771, and the textile and garment industry became the pillar industry of the British economy. By the middle of nineteenth Century, Britain became the first industrialized country in the world. Although only 0.2% of the earth's land area was available, its huge quantity of high-quality textiles and clothing continued to be exported to overseas.

　　第一，紡織機械和高檔毛紡織品仍然是出口主力軍。工業(yè)革命時期，英國紡織業(yè)是實行機械化速度最快的行業(yè)，出現(xiàn)了內(nèi)部的精細分工，由此紡織機械的國際競爭優(yōu)勢保持至今。英國圈地運動造就了毛紡織業(yè)，到16世紀(jì)初英國羊毛及其制品已經(jīng)占英格蘭出口的90%。在此基礎(chǔ)上，英國大力發(fā)展服裝業(yè)，其生產(chǎn)的高檔毛紡織品和服裝受到世界各地消費者的青睞。

　　第二，中低檔紡織品和服裝主要依賴進口。男女外衣和內(nèi)衣、套衫、T恤衫、褲子、襯衫、滑雪服、棉線、棉布、地毯、針織布料等中低檔品進口占英國市場的一半以上，市場需求增長較大。主要原因在于英國紡織業(yè)競爭力逐年削弱，英國經(jīng)濟轉(zhuǎn)向以服務(wù)業(yè)為主，制造成本增加，在英國政府倡導(dǎo)自由貿(mào)易的背景下，紡織服裝業(yè)在國際市場上節(jié)節(jié)敗退，許多傳統(tǒng)知名企業(yè)倒閉或被接管。

　　第三，注重服裝品牌和科技含量。倫敦是一個時尚之都，每年舉辦的時裝周為英國服裝業(yè)設(shè)計打樣提供了平臺，服裝科研機構(gòu)和廠商及時研發(fā)新型服裝產(chǎn)品，提高服裝面料和飾件的科技內(nèi)涵。一些著名服裝品牌如Aquastum、Burburry、AustinReed、Pink等擁有一流的設(shè)計隊伍，他們及時了解國際服裝市場發(fā)展動態(tài)，其在商業(yè)街上的旗艦店引導(dǎo)英國白領(lǐng)階層的穿著潮流。

　　經(jīng)濟衰退背景下的中英紡織服裝貿(mào)易

In recent years, textiles and clothing have always been the main commodities of bilateral trade between China and Britain.