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Where does China get its raw cotton? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $4.7 billion of raw cotton (2.4 million tonnes), 28% of the world total. Its main sources were Brazil (38%), the United States (37%) and Australia (14%). China was the world’s largest importer of raw cotton.

Summary

Value
$4.7billion
Tonnes
2.4million tonnes
Share of world total
28%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Brazil1.8Tonnes: 943,322USD per tonne: $1,90438.2%Sea
United States1.7Tonnes: 838,906USD per tonne: $2,07437.1%Sea
Australia0.66Tonnes: 331,430USD per tonne: $1,98514%Sea
India0.14Tonnes: 72,662USD per tonne: $1,9273%Land
Turkey0.09Tonnes: 46,719USD per tonne: $1,8761.9%Sea
Kazakhstan0.07Tonnes: 43,937USD per tonne: $1,5821.5%Land
Sudan0.04Tonnes: 21,896USD per tonne: $1,6920.79%Sea
Burkina Faso0.03Tonnes: 15,973USD per tonne: $2,0230.69%Sea
Tajikistan0.02Tonnes: 10,146USD per tonne: $1,8650.4%Land
Argentina0.02Tonnes: 13,431USD per tonne: $1,1740.34%Sea
Egypt0.01Tonnes: 4,321USD per tonne: $3,2250.3%Sea
Israel0.01Tonnes: 3,151USD per tonne: $3,6760.25%Sea
Myanmar0.01Tonnes: 7,303USD per tonne: $1,3340.21%Land
Mexico0.01Tonnes: 4,655USD per tonne: $1,9830.2%Sea
Tanzania0.01Tonnes: 2,981USD per tonne: $2,2710.14%Sea
Cameroon0.01Tonnes: 2,841USD per tonne: $1,9300.12%Sea
Benin0.01Tonnes: 2,364USD per tonne: $2,1180.11%Sea
Kyrgyzstan< 0.01Tonnes: 2,950USD per tonne: $1,6940.11%Land
Zimbabwe< 0.01Tonnes: 2,335USD per tonne: $2,1260.11%Sea
Mali< 0.01Tonnes: 2,387USD per tonne: $1,6590.08%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Brazil has been its main source since 2024

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Brazil 1.8
  • United States 1.7
  • Australia 0.66
  • India 0.14
  • Turkey 0.09

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Brazil0.011.8
United States0.91.7
Australia0.040.66
India< 0.010.14
Turkey00.09

Sources and methodology

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Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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