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52 (Harmonized System 1992 for 2-digit)

2023
World Trade $50BRnk 60 / 96
2023
Top Exporter | Top Importer $9.19B | $9.26BChina | China
2023
Product Complexity -1.51Rnk 91 / 96
2022 - 2023
Export Growth (CAGR) -21%Rnk 91 / 96
2023
Share of World Trade 0.22%Rnk 60 / 96

About

Overview This page contains the latest trade data of Cotton. In 2023, Cotton were the world's 60th most traded product, with a total trade of $50B. Between 2022 and 2023 the exports of Cotton decreased by -21%, from $63.2B to $50B. Trade in Cotton represent 0.22% of total world trade.

Cotton are a part of Textiles. They include Raw Cotton, Light Pure Woven Cotton, Non-Retail Pure Cotton Yarn, Heavy Pure Woven Cotton, Heavy Mixed Woven Cotton, Light Mixed Woven Cotton, Non-Retail Mixed Cotton Yarn, Other Cotton Fabrics, Cotton Waste, and Retail Cotton Yarn, among others.

Exports In 2023 the top exporters of Cotton  were China ($9.19B), United States ($6.96B), India ($6.34B), Brazil ($3.2B), and Pakistan ($3.04B).

Imports In 2023 the top importers of Cotton were China ($9.26B), Bangladesh ($6.55B), Vietnam ($4.66B), Turkey ($2.76B), and Indonesia ($1.56B).

Ranking Cotton ranks 91st in the Product Complexity Index (PCI).

Latest Trends

Latest Data

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The following visualization shows the latest trends on Cotton. Countries are shown based on data availability.

For a full breakdown of trade patterns, visit the trend explorer or the product in country profile.

Explore Latest Trends

* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Historical Data

Exporters and Importers

Top Origin (2023)China$9.19B
Top Destination (2023)China$9.26B

In 2023 Cotton were the world's 60th most traded product (out of 96).

In 2023, the top exporters of Cotton were China ($9.19B), United States ($6.96B), India ($6.34B), Brazil ($3.2B), and Pakistan ($3.04B).

In 2023, the top importers of Cotton were China ($9.26B), Bangladesh ($6.55B), Vietnam ($4.66B), Turkey ($2.76B), and Indonesia ($1.56B).

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Exporters of Cotton (2023)
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Importers of Cotton (2023)
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Market Dynamics

Color
Top Origin Growth (2022 -  2023)Kazakhstan$55.6M
Top Destination Growth (2022 -  2023)China$618M

Between 2022 and 2023, the exports of Cotton grew the fastest in Kazakhstan ($55.6M), Sri Lanka ($44.7M), Denmark ($19.3M), Bangladesh ($16.8M), and Paraguay ($15M).

Between 2022 and 2023, the fastest growing importers of Cotton were China ($618M), Macau ($150M), Hong Kong ($140M), Ghana ($91M), and Senegal ($54M).

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Exporters of Cotton (2022 - 2023)

Importers of Cotton (2022 - 2023)

Market Concentration

Value

This chart shows the evolution of the market concentration of exports of Cotton.

In 2023, market concentration measured using Shannon Entropy, was 4.36. This means that most of the exports of Cotton are explained by 20 countries.

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Value of Exports in Cotton

Net Trade

TOP NET EXPORTER (2023)United States$6.09B
TOP NET IMPORTER (2023)Bangladesh$6.43B

This map shows which countries export or import more of Cotton. Each country is colored based on the difference in exports and imports of Cotton during 2023.

In 2023, the countries that had a largest trade value in exports than in imports of Cotton were United States ($6.09B), India ($5.49B), Brazil ($3.03B), Australia ($2.71B), and Pakistan ($1.88B).

In 2023, the countries that had a largest trade value in imports than in exports of Cotton were Bangladesh ($6.43B), Vietnam ($1.92B), Indonesia ($1.04B), Cambodia ($716M), and Russia ($714M).

Net Trade (2023)

Disaggregation

Value
Disaggregation

In 2023, the world most traded Cotton, disaggragated by their HS6 level were Raw Cotton ($16B), Non-Retail Pure Cotton Yarn ($11.7B), Light Pure Woven Cotton ($8.78B), Heavy Pure Woven Cotton ($5.58B), and Heavy Mixed Woven Cotton ($3.06B)

HS6 Disaggregation for Cotton (2023)
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Country Comparison

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Ranking

This visualization shows the countries that have an important ratio of their trade related to Cotton.
It is possible to select the main countries that export or import Cotton in the world, or by continent, as well as select the measure of interest.

Top 10 Exporters Countries of Cotton by percentage of total exports

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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TOP EXPORT POTENTIALChina+ $326M
TOP IMPORT POTENTIALChina+ $123M

Cotton’s highest export potential is China. With an export gap of $326M.  Cotton’s highest import potential is China with an import gap of $123M.

See methodology.

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Product Complexity

Diversification Frontier

Specialization

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk and the strategic value of a product's potential export opportunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth potential, lower income inequality, and lower emissions.

Relatedness vs Country Complexity (2023)

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