By Mary Hightower
As the price of the raw materials for synthetic fibers rises, global cotton mill usage has hit its highest levels since the 2017/18 marketing year, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Analyzing figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and Economic Research Service, Loy said that world cotton mill use is projected to reach 122.9 million bales in the 2026/27 marketing year.
A marketing year is the 12-month period that starts at harvest and ends before the next harvest.
“That’s an increase of about 2 million bales from 2025/26 and the highest level since the 2017/18 marketing year,” he said.
Asia dominates
However, it’s not U.S. mills that are humming.
“This year’s rise in mill use is concentrated in Asia,” Loy said.
China, which is the largest supplier of apparel products to the world, is forecast to see its mill use at 41.5 million bales, up 500,000 from last marketing year and the highest since the 2020/21 marketing year, he said.
“India's use is currently projected at 26 million bales, up from 25.5 million bales in 2025/26 and matches the record set in the 2020/21 marketing year,” Loy said.
Source : uada.edu