The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cotton forecast for 2007/08 indicates that U.S. cotton exports are projected to remain above last season despite a large reduction to this month's estimate.
The current projection places shipments at 14.5 million bales in 2007/08, the second largest on record. At this level, exports account for over 75 percent of total U.S. demand this season, a record.
Demand for U.S. cotton is increasingly dependent upon the strength of the global economy. U.S. raw cotton exports, as well as their share of total demand, have risen dramatically over the past decade as the global cotton industry has become more
integrated.
The strength of world cotton demand over the last several years has provided more opportunities for U.S. cotton overseas, but also more competition from other exporting countries.
United States Department of Agriculture