[pageLogInLogOut]

#Raw Materials

Higher consumption and lower production expected to draw down ending stocks in 2020/21

The 2020/21 cotton consumption forecast has been revised upward this month from 24.2 million tonnes to 24.5 million tonnes, and while the projected 7% year-over-year increase isn’t nearly enough to offset the losses caused by the pandemic, it’s expected to outpace production, thus drawing stocks down by the end of the season. Stock levels are expected to drop to 21.1 million tonnes by the end of 2020/21, which would represent a 1% decrease from the previous season.

Highlights from the March 2021 Cotton This Month include:


  • The cotton consumption forecast has been revised upward to 24.5 million tonnes for the 2020/21 season
  • The production forecast has been revised downward
  • As a result, ending stocks are forecast to decrease by 1% to 21.1 million tonnes
  • This month, the Secretariat’s price projection for the year-end 2020/21 average of the A Index is 75.7 cents per pound




The Secretariat is projecting an increase in global trade. Both China and Pakistan are forecast to increase imports, the former benefitting from the price gap between domestic and foreign cotton and the latter due to a decrease in domestic production. 

This month, the Secretariat’s price projection for the year-end 2020/21 average of the A Index is 75.7 cents per pound. 

© 2021 ICAC
© 2021 ICAC

 

Cotton This Month is published at the beginning of the month with the Cotton Update published mid-month. The Cotton Update, which is included in the Cotton This Month subscription, is a mid-month report with updated information on supply/demand estimates and prices. The next Cotton Update will be released on 15 March 2021. The next Cotton This Month will be released on 1 April 2021.

 


More News from International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)

#Raw Materials

World Cotton Day 2026 to bring global cotton and textile community to Tashkent on October 7

The Government of Uzbekistan and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) will host the official World Cotton Day 2026 Partners Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on October 7.

#Natural Fibers

2026 ICAC report projects World cotton trade to reach 10.3 million tonnes by 2028/29

The International Cotton Advisory Committee has released the 2026 World Cotton Trade Report, which provides analysis of global cotton trade patterns, key trading relationships, import and export trends, and the geopolitical and policy developments shaping cotton trade flows.

#Natural Fibers

"Review" examines the outlooks for seven major cotton producers

The newest issue of Cotton: Review of the World Situation provides an in-depth look at how seven important cotton-producing countries are responding to changing markets, rising production costs, climate pressures, evolving technologies, and growing demands for quality and sustainability.

#Natural Fibers

Global cotton trade poised for recovery as India and China drive import demand

The July 2026 issue of Cotton This Month highlights a changing global cotton market, with consumption and trade expected to strengthen despite a modest decline in production during the 2026/27 season. The next issue of Cotton This Month will be released on August 1, 2026.

More News on Raw Materials

#Raw Materials

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.

#Raw Materials

Kimberly-Clark develops alternative natural fiber platform for hygiene products

Kimberly-Clark has introduced a proprietary innovation program aimed at developing alternative natural fibers for future hygiene products. The company has created a patented materials platform based on fibers derived from hesperaloe, a drought-tolerant succulent native to the southwestern United States.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Indorama Ventures advances circularity tthrough PETValue Philippines' “Zero Waste to Landfill Partnership” with Republic Cement

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, is advancing the circular economy through a new Zero Waste to Landfill initiative at its recycling site PETValue Philippines, further demonstrating how collaboration across industries can maximize resource efficiency and reduce waste.

#Natural Fibers

Better Cotton Initiative multistakeholder event in US unpacks regenerative agriculture potential

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), in collaboration with Texas-based partner, Quarterway Cotton Growers, will expand upon its annual US field event to relay the vast potential of regenerative agriculture through an immersive experience of tours and demonstrations.

Latest News

#Functional Fabrics

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

#Nonwoven machines

MENANG rapidly resumes production with new ANDRITZ airlay line after major fire

MENANG, a Malaysian manufacturer of nonwoven automotive components, has resumed production after a major fire severely damaged its airlay line in mid-March 2026. A new airlay line supplied by ANDRITZ enabled production to restart within only four months.

#Exhibitions & Events

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

#ITMA Asia + CITME 2026

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 Shanghai showcases intelligent and sustainable manufacturing

From 20 to 24 November 2026, the textile machinery industry will gather in Shanghai for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026, Asia’s leading business platform for textile machinery, to be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The exhibition will occupy seven halls, with a total gross exhibition area of about 180,000 square metres. The exhibition has expanded by 10% over the last edition which reflects the continued industry interest in the region.

TOP