#Raw Materials

2020-11-04

The cotton supply chain continues to suffer from COVID, trade tensions and a sluggish global economy

Production changes in major regions from 2015/16 to 2020/21 © 2020 ICAC

The entire world might be tired of the COVID pandemic and simply want to be done with it — but it is, sadly, far from done with the cotton industry. Production in 2020/21 (24.9 million tonnes) is projected to outpace consumption by 500,000 tonnes, and many major producers are expected to see their totals drop in the coming year, including the USA, Brazil, Pakistan and West Africa.

Global consumption is estimated at 24.4 million tonnes in 2020/21

Global production is anticipated to increase to 24.9 million tonnes in 2020/21

Production in the United States, Pakistan and West Africa is expected to decrease in 2020/21

Production in India and China is expected to increase in 2020/21

Inclement weather and trade conflicts could compound the challenges in some regions, especially the USA, which not only is experiencing an unusually active hurricane season but also is still engaged in a trade war with China.

But as with most dark clouds, there is a silver lining too. Brazil, for example, might be projected to have a 6% decrease in production, but its total production should reach 2.8 million tonnes — roughly double the size of the crop it was producing only five years ago.

India and China, the world’s top two producers, also are expected to increase their totals in the coming season.

The Secretariat’s current projection for the year-end 2020/21 average of the A Index is 69.3 cents per pound this month.

Cotton This Month is published at the beginning of the month with the Cotton Update published mid-month. The Cotton Update, which is included in the Cotton This Month subscription, is a mid-month report with updated information on supply/demand estimates and prices. The next Cotton Update will be released on 16 November 2020. The next Cotton This Month will be released on 1 December 2020.

Fashion For Good launches “Beyond50 Denim” to address hemp integration barriers in global denim production

Fashion for Good, together with leading global brands BESTSELLER, C&A, PDS Limited, Reformation, and Target, launched Beyond50 Denim: Combining Cottonised Hemp and Green Chemistry, a project accelerating the use of hemp as an alternative to conventional cotton in denim. By combining two pioneering innovations (SEFF’s Nano-Pulse™ cottonised hemp fibres and FIBRE52™’s proprietary chemistry formulations with soft handfeel), the project seeks to demonstrate that hemp-based denim can match or even surpass cotton in both performance and appeal.

Spinnova and Rieter to publish a yarn spinning guideline for industrial partners

Spinnova and Rieter have published a comprehensive yarn spinning guideline for industrial partners, detailing how to produce compact yarn from SPINNOVA® fibre using Rieter’s state-of-the-art machinery. The step-by-step guide outlines key considerations at each stage of the spinning process and is available upon request.

Evonik and AMSilk extend partnership for sustainable biotech silk materials

Evonik and AMSilk, a global leader in advanced biomaterials based on silk proteins, have deepened their collaboration with a long-term agreement to produce sustainable silk proteins at industrial scale. Building on their initial manufacturing agreement from 2023, the companies have commissioned a manufacturing line at Evonik’s Slovakian site for AMSilk’s high-performance silk. This innovative biomaterial is produced with minimal environmental impact and is designed for use in premium fashion and highly demanding automotive interiors.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories to launch operations at new Southeast Asia production facility this week

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“Company” or “Kraig Labs”), a world leader in spider silk technology*, announces that it will begin operations this week at its newest production facility. This milestone marks the launch of the first full production cycle at the site. This production site was secured earlier this summer through an agreement with a government agency in Southeast Asia.

Rieter reports stable order backlog and strategic progress – outlook for 2025 adjusted

In its Investor Update 2025, Rieter announced an order intake of CHF 203.9 million in the third quarter and CHF 559.3 million after nine months, reflecting a continued cautious investment climate in the textile machinery sector. Sales totaled CHF 121.5 million in the third quarter and CHF 457.7 million for the first nine months of the year, while the order backlog stood at around CHF 590 million as of September 30, 2025.