A new report ‘Asia – Woven Fabrics Of Cotton – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’, by IndexBox reveals revenues of the cotton fabric market in Asia increased by a meager 2 % to reach USD 43.9 billion in 2018. Though the overall consumption of cotton fabric in China witnessed a steady decline during 2010 -2019, the country remains the largest cotton fabric consumer in Asia, accounting for 32 % of total consumption. China’s consumption exceeds almost twice that of the region’s second-largest consumer, Bangladesh, which consumed 869 million square metres of fabric; Turkey emerged third globally with consumption of 819 million square metres
In terms of growth in value, China topped the list by selling cotton fabrics worth USD13 billion in 2018. On the other side, China dominates world cotton fabric market with production hand, India sold fabrics worth USD 9.7 billion while Bangladesh sold cotton fabrics worth USD 4.9 billion. These two countries held a combined 63 % share of the total market. The countries with the highest levels of cotton fabric per capita consumption in 2018 included: Turkey (9,988 square metres per 1,000 persons), Bangladesh (5,219 square metres per 1000 persons) and Vietnam (2,483 square metres per 1000 persons).
China remains top cotton producer
Over the period under review, cotton fabric production continues to indicate a mild decrease. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2015 with an increase of 5.9 % year-to-year. Cotton fabric production attained its peak level at USD59.6 billion in 2008; however, from 2009 to 2018, production failed to regain momentum. In 2018, production of woven cotton fabrics in Asia was 6.2 billion square metres, declining -4.2 % against the previous year. In value terms, cotton fabric production stood at USD46.9 billion in 2018 estimated in export prices.
China remained the largest cotton fabric producing country in Asia, accounting for 50 % of total production. It was followed by Turkey with a production of 833 million square metres The third position in this ranking was occupied by India which produced 792 million square metres of cotton fabric.
Exports remain flat
Exports of cotton fabrics indicated a relatively flat trend pattern from 2010-2018. The total exports of woven fabrics of cotton in 2018 totalled 2.2 billion square metres, levelling off at the previous year. China was the major exporter with 56 % of the total exports. It was distantly followed by Pakistan with exports of 422 million square metres, India with exports of 118 million square metres and Turkey with exports 109 million square metres Together, these three countries generated a 29 % share of total exports.
Import of cotton woven fabrics in Asia increased 4.9 % in 2018 with the region importing approximately 2.1 billion square metres of fabrics against the previous year. The total volume of imports increased at an average annual rate of +2.1 % over the period from 2007 to 2018 with the pace of growth being most pronounced in 2017 when imports increased by 42 % year-to-year.
Bangladesh was the topmost importer of cotton woven fabrics in Asia, with volume of imports reaching 873 million square metres, nearly 42 % of the total imports in 2018. Vietnam followed with 12 % share of total imports, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Cambodia and Turkey made up the list.