#Raw Materials

2022-07-21

Newest edition of the review asks: How well do you know your cottons?

It's almost certain that even many cotton professionals don't know all of the various 'identity cottons' that are for sale around the world, and that's understandable because there are a lot of them. To try to clear things up, the current issue of 'Cotton: Review of the World Situation' takes a look at some of the major players.

Executive Summary

Highlights from the current issue of the ‘Review’ include:

An update of the current cotton market

A wide-ranging look at the many types of branded sustainable cotton programmes from around the world: Argentina; Australia; BASF; Brazil; China; Cotton made in Africa; CottonConnect; Textile Exchange; and the USA

Many of them are branded and promoted by the countries producing the fibre:

Africa's Cotton made in Africa,

Argentina's Responsible Cotton,

Australia's myBMP,

Brazil's Responsible Cotton,

China's Sustainable Development, and

The USA's Cotton Trust Protocol.

The others are championed by businesses (BASF's e3; the CottonConnect programme) and nonprofits (Textile Exchange's Climate+ Strategy).

Although cotton is a natural fibre and inherently more sustainable than synthetic fibres like polyester, the ICAC estimates that only about 30% of the cotton fibre produced in the world is done so under sustainable conditions, so the efforts of these countries and organisations are going a long way toward addressing one of cotton's greatest challenges.

The opening article, 'A Rare Period of Stability in an Up-and-Down Year', highlights how a crazy, unpredictable season came to a quiet and steady close, with little changed in the final two months of the 2021/22 season.

To view this FREE, 31-page edition of ‘Cotton: Review of the World Situation’, please click here:

https://www.icac.org/Content/PublicationsPdf%20Files/5ca11d70_07a9_4e66_b5f3_747ded5290ce/Cotton-Review4-2022.pdf.pdf.pdf

ICAC’s 84th Plenary Meeting to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt

Registration will soon be open for the International Cotton Advisory Committee’s 84th Plenary Meeting, to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt. The local Organizing Committee in Egypt has chosen “Building a Resilient and Competitive Future for Cotton and Textiles” as the theme for the event, which will be held at the Rixos Montaza Alexandria Resort.

Global cotton production projected to outpace consumption, but risks remain

Global cotton production is projected to reach 26.2 million tonnes in the 2026/27 season, marginally outpacing estimated consumption of 25.9 million tonnes. However, early-season production risks — including weather volatility and pest pressures — could narrow that buffer as the crop progresses, according to the September 2026 issue of Cotton This Month, published by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

Global garment trade nears USD 550 billion as competition intensifies

The global garment industry has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades, with knit and woven garments together accounting for nearly 60% of world textile exports in 2025, according to the August 2026 issue of The Textiles Observer, a free publication from the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

Brazil sets new cotton export record and consolidates global leadership

Brazil ended the 2025/26 commercial year with a new record, consolidating its position as the world’s largest cotton exporter. Between August 2025 and July 2026, the country shipped 3,373,941 tonnes of the fiber, 19% more than in the previous cycle, and reached record revenue of US$5.3 billion. The result represents a milestone in Brazil’s expansion in the international market and reinforces the country’s role as a strategic supplier to the global textile industry.

Coats Digital launches AI-powered GSD RealMotion for motion analysis

Coats Digital has launched GSD RealMotion, an AI-powered solution designed to provide apparel manufacturers with greater visibility into factory-floor operations. By analysing shop-floor video and applying Coats Digital’s GSD methodology, the solution turns video recordings into structured, motion-by-motion method studies.

Archroma and Lameirinho partner in pioneering deployment of InOneGO single-step dyeing

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, and Lameirinho, a leading home textiles manufacturer based in Portugal, are collaborating to bring InOneGO by Archroma, a new single-step dyeing process, into commercial production. Lameirinho’s first InOneGo bedlinens collection is now available worldwide.