Why doesn the U.S. Textile Industry consume more Supima cotton?
Domestic textile mills are predominantly medium to coarse count yarn producers. However, the U.S. does consume approximately 30,000 bales of U.S. Pima cotton a year. This figure has fallen from a high of about 120,000 bales of annual consumption several years ago. The decrease in annual domestic consumption speaks to the increasing cost of production in the U.S. In 1998/99 the U.S. was the largest consumer of Supima cotton. However, as more of the brands/retailers in the U.S. outsource their supply, foreign nations have jumped to the top of the list of Supima consumers.
