Chinese cotton imports for January to August reached 1.11 million tonnes, an 88.9 percent or 521 kilo tons (KT) jump on the same period last year.
China imported 80.5 KT of cotton in August 2026, 7.8 KT more than a year earlier but 11.1 KT short of July’s level.
Australia held on to its place as China’s leading supplier in August, delivering 60 KT, which was 4 KT above a year earlier and 5 KT higher than in July.
Brazilian import volumes slipped to 5.8 KT, 5 KT lower year on year and 11 KT down on the previous month. American cotton stayed marginal, constrained by additional tariffs and tight quotas.
Looking at August market shares, Australian fibre took 74 percent, a gain of 14 percentage points over July but 3 points below a year ago.
Brazil’s portion stood at 7 percent, having fallen 8 points from 15 percent in August 2025 and 12 points from July. US cotton commanded 9 percent, up 8 points over August 2025.
Image courtesy: IndiaMart
