Bangladesh becomes world's largest cotton importer
Bangladesh has become the world’s biggest importer of cotton in 2025, after China slashed its imports by 65%, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).
Tariff escalations between the US and China have caused considerable changes to cotton trading, with U.S. cotton exports to China falling 70% between August 2024 and February 2025, according to the US Department of Agriculture. More recent figures are unavailable due to the US government’s ‘shutdown’.
World cotton lint production for 2025 is estimated to be about 25.4 million tonnes, roughly the same as the last year, surpassing consumption by 392,000 tonnes.
World trade was 7.4% lower in the 2024/25 season at 9.1 million tonnes mainly due to decreased import demand from China.
