Turkey overtakes China as top importer of US cotton

Turkey has overtaken China as the number one customer for raw cotton

exported from the United States, as Chinese buyers have lowered their import of raw cotton for lower-taxed yarn.

Since August, the start of the 2013/4 crop marketing season, Turkey has bought 83,400 bales of cotton from the US, which is double the amount of China. Overall in 2013, Turkey bought 1.72 million 480-lb bales of cotton, a 40 percent increase from the same period last year.

While China only bought 1.42 million bales in 2013, down more than 60 percent from what they bought in 2012. Other buyers of US cotton in 2013 include Mexico, Vietnam and Thailand.

Turkey’s interest in exported cotton has increased due to a revival of its textile industry, which is increasing due to sales to Europe, as well as the fact the country is expected to grow fewer bales this year due to lower plantings.