Cotton linter import of China in Jul achieves a year-on-year doubling growth

Cotton linter import market has experienced significant fluctuations this year, with a much lower import volume than expected at the beginning of the year, followed by a gradual recovery month by month. In the past two months, the import volume has stabilized at over 10kt, showing a doubling growth compared to the previous year.

Starting from Feb, the import volume of cotton linter has gradually increased, and there has been a doubling growth trend from Jun to Jul. The import volume in Jul was approximately 11.56kt, a month-on-month decrease of 10.83% but a year-on-year increase of 135.29%. In addition, the cumulative import volume from Jan to Jul was about 42.921kt, a year-on-year decrease of 42.22% but with a narrowing decline.

In terms of import origins, the concentration of cotton linter imports has significantly increased this year, mainly from Turkey, India, and Brazil, accounting for as high as 97.2% of the total. It is worth noting that there has been no import from the US for two consecutive months from Jun to Jul, while a small amount of imports from South Korea have appeared during the same period.

In terms of cumulative data, from Jan to Jul, India, Turkey, and Brazil were the top three importers, accounting for a combined proportion of 94.5%. Among them, the largest decrease in imports this year was from the US, with an import volume of less than 30 tons from Jan to Jul, a year-on-year decrease of 99.66%. However, the import from India saw significant growth, totaling 16.455kt from Jan to Jul, a year-on-year increase of 76.2%.

In terms of destinations, the distribution of cotton linter imports this year is relatively dispersed but also relatively concentrated. In Jul, Shandong, Fujian, and Jiangsu ranked among the top three, accounting for a combined proportion of 79.2%. The import of Fujian showed significant growth, while Anhui saw a significant decrease in imports.

In terms of cumulative data, from Jan to Jul, Shandong, Anhui, and Jiangsu ranked among the top three, accounting for a combined proportion of 68.5%. Xinjiang has experienced a significant decrease in imports this year, while Fujian and Hunan have seen notable growth in imports. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has made its first imports for years.

In conclusion, cotton linter import market has experienced significant fluctuations this year, starting low at the beginning of the year and picking up in the middle with import volume exceeding 10kt in Jun and Jul. It is expected that there will be limited increase in the supply of Chinese cotton linter until a large amount of new cottonseed arrives in Oct. Therefore, there is still a certain degree of dependence on the import market. Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces are the main importers of cotton linter this year, with the majority of imports coming from Turkey, India, and Brazil.