BEIJING: China imported 161,200 tonnes of cotton in January, down 44.9 percent on the same month last year, the China Cotton Association said citing customs figures.

The world's top cotton consumer has imported 722,600 tonnes of the fibre in the first five months of the 2014/15 season, a drop of 49 percent, it added.

Demand has plunged on fewer import quotas available in the market and much weaker domestic prices compared with last year.

Copyright Reuters, 2015