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Shutterstock<\/p>\n\n Translated by<\/b>
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Nazia BIBI KEENOO\n <\/p>\n
\n Published<\/b>
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September 4, 2025<\/p>\n
\n The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) reports that world cotton production missed its targets last month, reaching 25.5 million tonnes instead of the 25.9 million tonnes forecast. This shortfall comes as the country of origin of cotton plays an increasingly significant role in global customs procedures.<\/p>\n
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The decline was mainly attributed to the United States\u2014the world\u2019s fourth-largest cotton supplier\u2014where output fell by 400,000 tonnes. Additional drops were reported in Pakistan and Sudan, where harvests declined by 100,000 and 50,000 tonnes, respectively.<\/p>\n
The fall in US production, driven by prolonged drought in major cotton-producing states, has drawn attention across Asia. As trade tensions between Beijing and Washington persist, US cotton exports to China have plummeted\u2014from 40% of total exports to just 8% within a year.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, as previously reported by FashionNetwork.com<\/a>, several Asian nations specializing in textile and garment manufacturing are turning to US cotton to bypass customs sanctions. These include Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, and India\u2014the latter being the world\u2019s second-largest cotton producer behind China. However, this strategy may be short-lived if US cotton supplies continue to tighten.<\/a><\/p>\n With exports to China declining, American cotton is now primarily directed toward Vietnam, Pakistan, Turkey, and India.<\/p>\n At the same time, large volumes of Chinese cotton remain banned from multiple markets\u00a0due to concerns over forced labor involving the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region. This shift in sourcing raises new concerns about prices. Based on current supply and demand conditions, ICAC estimates that cotton for the 2025\u201326 season will range between 60 and 96 cents per pound, with 76 cents as the median projection.<\/p>\n