The China Textile & Apparel Expo has kicked off in New York. It takes place as Chinese textile companies are developing new opportunities in the United States.

This is the tenth year the expo is being held in the US, the world's largest textile market. And, although the global textile market is still in a downturn, Chinese companies are holding their ground in the US.

ZHang Yankai, deputy director of China Nat'l Textile and Apparel Council, said, "Chinese products take the largest share in the US market, by about one-third. And other countries take at most eight to ten percent. So the US market is crucial to our exports."

Aside from showcasing the situation after the adjustment of products, the expo this year stresses ads on the Internet. Amid the financial crisis, US businesses have changed their way of trading, which has caused great concern for Chinese companies. But the confidence that Chinese businesses have in the US market increases the buyer's confidence.

From January to March, China's textile exports to the US dropped 16 percent year on year. But April witnessed a growth of nearly 3 percent in China's textile exports. Industry insiders hope this is evidence of a market pick up.