Cotton linter import from Turkey witnesses a remarkable surge in Apr

China's cotton linter import market has shown relatively high enthusiasm this year, and Turkish cotton linter in particular has stood out prominently. In Feb-Mar, the import market experienced significant growth in volume, witnessing another blow-out surge in Apr.

The import market popularity is sustained this year. The total import volume in the first four months was 42,547.1 tons, a year-on-year increase of nearly 24%. Among them, the import of Turkish cotton linter has dominated overwhelmingly, showing a sharp upward trend in volume.

According to customs data, the import volume of Turkish cotton linter in Apr was 6,443.41 tons, a year-on-year increase of 208.4%, accounting for 55.5% of China's total import volume. This single-month figure hit a 3-year high since Jun 2022. In Jan-Apr of this year, the cumulative import volume was 15,497.29 tons, a year-on-year surge of about 451.8%, accounting for 36.4% of the total.

Due to the higher maturity and better product quality of Turkish cotton linter, especially the comparative advantage in import price, it has been highly sought after by Chinese traders and refined cotton and nitrocellulose enterprises in Anhui, Shandong, and Sichuan.

The import price of Turkish cotton linter has been significantly lower than China's average import price this year, as well as the prices of Brazilian and Central Asian cotton linter. In Apr, the average import price of Turkish cotton linter was $416.57/mt, 5.7% lower than the national average import price, and 4.4% and 27.2% lower than the average import prices of Brazil and Turkmenistan, respectively. In Jan-Apr, the average import price of Turkish cotton linter was $418.91/mt, 4.9% lower than the national average import price, and 3.1% and 26.5% lower than the average import prices of Brazil and Turkmenistan, respectively.

In summary, cotton linter import of China shows a high concentration this year, mainly from Turkey, India, Turkmenistan, and Brazil. In Apr, the import from these four origins collectively accounted for as high as 98% of total. In Jan-Apr, their combined share was nearly 95%. Among them, Turkish cotton linter has shown obvious cost-performance advantages, with import volume soaring rapidly, up 208% year-on-year in Apr and 452% year-on-year in Jan-Apr, dominating the market overwhelmingly.