Editorial: Cotton to Keep its Share of the Global Textile and Apparel Market in 2020-30 as China's Fibre Consumption Growth Slows

Future trends in cotton and man-made fibre production and consumption were presented by a number of speakers at the 2013 Conference of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) in Bregenz, Austria. In particular, the size of China's controversial cotton stockpile, known as the China National Reserve, was extensively discussed. World cotton stocks are expected to reach a record high of 19 million tons by the end of the 2013/14 season, and the ratio of global cotton stocks to cotton use is expected to reach its highest level since the Great Depression. Looking ahead, cotton will continue to prove popular with consumers, and looks set to hold its market share over the 2020-30 period. The downside is that cotton will maintain its share because of a dramatic slowdown in fibre consumption and man-made fibre production as the boom in China loses momentum. In this report, Robin Anson discusses the impact of China's cotton stockpile on the rest of the global textile and apparel market, and provides answers as to what is keeping global cotton prices so high. Also, he looks at how cotton's popularity among consumers continues unabated, and examines the future of cotton in the global textile and apparel market.

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