According to customs statistics, China's cotton imports registered 217,000 tons in December, the highest monthly volume in 2009, a substantial increase of 92.1 percent compared with November, and 28.7 percent higher than the same period last year.
Import value amounted to US $355 million, an increase of 108.5 percent from the previous month, and 38.3 percent year on year. Import price marked $1,640 per ton, a growth of 8.6 percent from the previous month, and 7.5 percent year on year.
In the whole year of 2009, China's total imports of cotton reached 1.52 million tons, down 28.7 percent year on year; total imports of cotton in the first four months of cotton year 2009-10 fetched 550,000 tons, an increase of 17.2 percent year on year.