World Cotton Market

World production

More than 100 countries in the world grow cotton (source: ICAC 2012)

Cotton accounts for about 31% of worldwide fibre production (source:

Australian Grown Cotton Sustainability Report, 2014)

The global 20 year average (1993/94 to 2013/14) annual planted area

is 33 million hectares of cotton (source: Bremen Cotton Exchange,
2014) producing about 26 million tonnes of lint each year

Average world cotton yields reached 780 kilograms of lint per hectare
in 2013/14, up markedly from 230 kilograms of lint per hectare in the
1950s (source: Bremen Cotton Exchange 2014)

Major cotton producing countries in 2014/15

China: 33.0 million bales

India: 27.0 million bales

United States: 18.0 million bales

Pakistan: 10.3 million bales

Brazil: 9.3 million bales

Uzbekistan: 4.6 million bales

Australia: 1.9 million bales

 Turkey: 2.8 million bales

Turkmenistan: 1.6 million bales

Greece: 1.4 million bales

(source: Bremen Cotton Exchange, 2014)

Supply and distribution

(source: Bremen Cotton Exchange 2014 - unless otherwise stated)

2012/13 (estimated) 2013/14 (projected) 2014/15 (projected)

Production
26.8 25.7 25.4
(million tonnes)
Consumption
23.3 23.6 24.5
(million tonnes)

World consumption of textile fibres is mainly determined by population,

consumer spending, which in turn depends on world economic growth,
and prices (source: ICAC 2007)

China is the worlds largest cotton producer AND the worlds largest
consumer of cotton fibre, with a share of around 25% of global cotton
production in 2013/14

India accounted for approximately 24% of global cotton production in

2013/14

In the last decade, Asia has become the number one destination for
cotton imports

The major importers of cotton in 2013/14 were China, Bangladesh,

Indonesia and Turkey
 About 30% of the world's consumption of cotton fibre crosses
international borders before processing, a larger share than for wheat,
corn, soybeans, or rice. Through trade in yarn, fabric, and clothing,
much of the world's cotton again crosses international borders at least
once more before reaching the final consumer (source: USDA 2012)

Global value of cotton

Cotton production and processing play an economic important in many

cotton growing countries, including developing countries. Production of
cotton and the subsequent exportation of lint and cotton products
provide a source of export income

In some countries that produce no cotton, the importation and

processing of lint for domestic consumption or re-exportation as
manufactured goods plays a vital economic role

The projected price for 2014/15 is 159 US cents/kg. The world cotton
market is estimated at USD $77 billion for 2014/15 (or $96 billion AUD
as at January 2015) (source: ICAC 2015)

http://cottonaustralia.com.au/cotton-library/fact-sheets/cotton-fact-file-the-
world-cotton-market