BEIJING - China's major textile companies saw their combined value-added industrial output rose 4.1 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the year, new data showed.

The growth rate was 0.4 percentage points faster than the same period of last year, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement.

In the first four months, the export of textile and garment products dropped 3.7 percent to $75.8 billion, with the export of textiles edging up 0.8 percent.

Fixed-asset investment of major textile companies rose 0.8 percent in the same period, their combined revenues were up 4.9 percent, and profits rose 0.7 percent year-on-year, the statement said.