U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the Great American Cotton Plan (PDF, 2.7 MB), a comprehensive USDA initiative to strengthen the cotton farm economy, restore domestic textile manufacturing, expand cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products made with American-grown cotton.
“Since 1607, cotton has helped build and sustain rural America. Our farmers grow some of the highest-quality cotton in the world, but over the last several years America’s cotton growers have been crushed by rising costs, unfair foreign competition, and a flood of cheap synthetic products. In 2023, we lost our status as the world's top cotton exporter to Brazil. This change starts today,” said Secretary Rollins. “The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring American cotton once again becomes the fiber of choice with the Great American Cotton Plan — a bold effort to restore profitability for cotton producers, strengthen rural economies, rebuild domestic textile manufacturing, and bring American cotton back into the products families use every day. Supporting natural fibers like cotton also aligns with the Make America Healthy Again agenda as Americans grow increasingly concerned about microplastics and synthetic materials in everyday products. Cotton is natural, breathable, biodegradable, and proudly grown by American farmers — not manufactured from petroleum-based plastics that can shed microplastics into our soil, water, and bodies.”
The announcement comes as cotton producers face a fifth consecutive year of negative returns driven by rising input costs, trade distortions, and increasing competition from synthetic materials. As part of the plan, USDA will elevate the “Plant Not Plastic” initiative to encourage consumers to purchase products made with healthy natural American cotton fibers rather than synthetic plastic-based alternatives.
Cotton remains one of the most economically significant crops in the United States, supporting producers and rural communities. USDA estimates every $1 generated at the cotton farm gate creates approximately $15 in direct economic activity across related industries.
However, the cotton industry continues facing severe economic pressure. USDA forecasts producers could lose approximately $2.6 billion across 9 million planted acres during the upcoming crop year. Since 1980, the number of U.S. cotton gins has declined from 2,254 to 446, while domestic textile production facilities have sharply contracted over the last two decades.
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