CISMA 2025, the largest and most influential professional international exhibition in the global sewing machinery industry, was held from 24 to 27 September, 2025, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The show featured an unprecedented scale of 14 halls covering 160,000 square metres, bringing together around 1,600 exhibitors from across the globe. It was a grand gathering of technology and innovation, supply and demand, for the entire sewing industry chain.
The opening ceremony welcomed distinguished guests including Zhang Chonghe, former Deputy Director of the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform and President of the China National Light Industry Council; Bu Zhengfa, former President of the China National Light Industry Council; Xing Tao, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the Industrial Development Promotion Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, with Deputy Department Chief Li Li; Xu Xiangnan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of China National Light Industry Council and Chairman of China National Furniture Association; He Ye, Vice President of China National Light Industry Council and Honorary Chairman of CSMA; Li Yuzhong, Vice President of China National Light Industry Council and President of China Leather Industry Association; Yang Xiaojing, President of CSMA; Jiao Pei, Vice Chairman of the China National Garment Association; Ge Jiangxia, Vice President of China Home Textile Industry Association; Shigemi Mima, President of the Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association; Markus Richter, Chairman of ISO TC148; as well as CSMA Vice Presidents, specially invited Vice Presidents, Supervisory Board members, representatives from local councils and key industry enterprises, CISMA2025 exhibitors, customers, and media representatives – totaling over 100 attendees. The ceremony was hosted by CSMA Vice Chairman and Secretary General Chen Ji. The opening ceremony officially began, with all guests and attendees first watching the CISMA 2025 promotional video, which showcased the exhibition theme and highlights.
CSMA Chairman Yang Xiaojing delivered the opening speech. On behalf of CSMA, he warmly welcomed all visiting leaders and international and domestic friends, expressing sincere thanks for their support. Yang emphasised that CISMA 2025 is not only a grand showcase of innovation but also a high-level ecosystem integrating information sharing, technology promotion, trade connections, and industrial collaboration. It has become an important platform driving the sewing machinery industry toward new levels of productivity and high-quality development. By presenting exhibits covering the entire industrial application spectrum, the fair supports diverse sectors, including textiles, apparel, home furnishings, automotive, and aviation, continuously meeting the growing demand for improved quality of life and faithfully fulfilling the industry mission of “refining technology, optimising applications”.
Leaders and guests then joined on stage for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially inaugurating the CISMA 2025 exhibition amidst a grand and festive atmosphere. Following the ceremony, leaders and guests conducted a tour of the exhibition halls, visiting company booths to experience firsthandthe beauty and precision of innovative sewing technology.
Nearly 1,600 domestic and international exhibitors participated, including SGG, Jack, Maqi, Zoje, Standard, Dahao, Feiyue, Promax, DURKOPP, Brother, Pegasus, Yamato, Siruba, Chee Siang, Shunfa, Baoyu, Precious, Supreme, Lejiang, Qixing, Dollar, Xiangtai, Transparent, Honyu, Weishi, Ina, Lectra, PGM, Flying Tiger, GrozBeckert, Qiangxin, among others — covering all segments of the global sewing machinery industry. The exhibition attracted over 100,000 professional visitors from China and overseas.
Additionally, the event featured themed demonstration product areas, the Overseas Strategic Distributors Announcement, the National College Sewing Machinery CNC Design Competition Finals, and high-level industry forums such as the International Cooperation & Development Forum, the Sewing Machinery Technology Innovation Forum, and the seminar on basic theory and shortfall technology research in sewing machinery. These forums and presentations represent the cutting edge of the global industry, enabling in-depth discussion across the entire sewing machinery supply chain — exchanging ideas, fostering innovation, and jointly mapping the future of the industry.
Over the three-and-a-half-day show welcomed a record-breaking 101297 visitors in total, surpassing the 100000 milestone for the first time in its history. The number of visitors reached 91314, an increase of 17% from the previous session. Of these, 54416 were new arrivals (increased 15.5%), accounting for nearly 60% of the total. Visitors from mainland China numbered 44400 (increased 7.7%), while overseas visitors, including those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan of China, totalled 10016 — representing a remarkable 70.3% increase year-on-year.
He Ye, Vice President of the China National Light Industry Council and Honorary Chairman of CSMA; Yang Xiaojing, Chairman of CSMA; Chen Ji, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General; Wu Jiling, Vice Chairman; and other CSMA leaders visited several exhibitors’ booths at CISMA 2025. They gained a detailed understanding of exhibitors’ overall participation, viewed the key products on display, and listened to introductions on technological and performance innovations. The leaders also exchanged views with company representatives on enterprise development strategies, product R&D directions, and market expansion plans.
Exhibitors noted that the exhibition outcomes far exceeded expectations: high and steady visitor traffic, a clear trend toward greater professionalism among attendees, a surge in overseas visitors with well-defined demands, and notable improvements in both the quality and volume of orders. Many well-known garment manufacturers attended in groups, with over half of the clients bringing fabrics and specific requirements to seek on-site solutions. In addition, the exhibition featured a wide variety of supporting activities and increasingly mature services, further enhancing both exhibitor and visitor experiences.
During the exhibition, Yang Xiaojing, Chen Ji, and other CSMA leaders also met with distinguished guests, including Koichi Yasui, Chairman of Brother Japan; Pawel Bronski, CEO of STRIMA SP.ZO.O. (Poland); officials from the Taizhou Jiaojiang District Government and its relevant departments; Naito Satoshi, SecretaryGeneral of the Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association; and Markus Richter, Chairman of ISO TC148. The discussions covered exhibition affairs, international cooperation, industry development, and standardisation
