China's cotton imports in 2008/09 are forecast to rise to 3.7 million tonnes from 2.7 million tonnes a year ago due to higher demand and a shift in land going from cotton to grain crops, a US Agriculture Department attache in Beijing said on Wednesday.
The increase in imports is the result of a smaller domestic crop of 7.7 million tonnes compared with 7.8 million tonnes in 2007/08. The report also said cotton consumption is forecast at 11.8 million tonnes in 2008/09, up 5 percent from the previous year's 11.2 million tonnes.
The United States will remain the largest exporter to China due to its quality and reliability, but cheaper prices and convenient delivery will make Indian cotton a fierce competitor. As of March, total imported volume from India reached 560,000 tonnes (35 percent), approaching the 633,000 tonnes from the United States (40 percent).