Perfect ending of cotton linter import market in 2021

2021 is a year of gorgeous turn-back for cotton linter market as Chinese cotton linter price increases sharply and far exceeds the peak of 2016, which is just below the level of bullish market in 2010. The import volume of cotton linter also returns to the peak, rising again in Dec of 2021.

Driven by restocking before the year-end and large price difference between Chinese and imported cotton linter, cotton linter import of China further increases in Dec by reaching 13.873kt, up 124.5% m-o-m and up 128% y-o-y.

In 2021, cotton linter import of China witnesses a blowout growth, totaling 195.5kt throughout the year, up 167% y-o-y, which is rarely seen in the past decade. The monthly average import volume is 16.291kt, close to the peak of 2015.

The import price of Dec 2021 falls to $541/mt due to changing origins of imported goods and shedding price of Chinese cotton linter, down 6.3% m-o-m but up 46.9% y-o-y. The price averages at $384/mt, up 11.77% y-o-y.

India returns to the top origin again in Dec since Apr 2021 as the import volume totals 3.499kt, taking up 25.2% of total imports. The import from the top five origins occupies as high as 96.2% of total imports.

In 2021, Turkey takes the leading position in import market as the import volume amounts to 59.622kt, taking up 30.5% of total imports, which is followed by India and Brazil. The import from top five origins accounts for 96.7% of total volume.

In Dec 2021, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui rank the top three places among the origins by taking up 75.7% of total imports. In 2021, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu as the top three origins whose import volume occupies 81.7% of total volume, taking the leading position.

In 2021, cotton linter demand of China increases sharply with surging price and the import volume also rises significantly, but the market may be mixed in 2022 and is likely to return to rationality.