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Cotton linters and other plant products: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in cotton linters and other plant products totaled $1.7 billion (6.8 million tonnes). The top exporters were Indonesia (27%), India (10%) and Sri Lanka (8%); the top importers were Japan (33%), the United States (10%) and China (8%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 51%.

Summary

World trade
$1.7billion
Tonnes
6.8million tonnes
Price per tonne
$255
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. Indonesia$466 million · 26.7%
  2. India$183 million · 10.5%
  3. Sri Lanka$138 million · 7.9%
  4. Malaysia$131 million · 7.5%
  5. Mexico$112 million · 6.4%
  6. China$107 million · 6.1%
  7. Peru$54 million · 3.1%
  8. United States$49 million · 2.8%
  9. Netherlands$45 million · 2.6%
    re-exports
  10. Ukraine$36 million · 2.1%
  11. Chile$31 million · 1.8%
  12. Turkey$30 million · 1.7%
  13. Nepal$26 million · 1.5%
  14. Spain$24 million · 1.4%
  15. Vietnam$23 million · 1.3%
  16. Belgium$23 million · 1.3%
    re-exports
  17. Brazil$22 million · 1.3%
  18. Thailand$19 million · 1.1%
  19. Russia$18 million · 1.1%
  20. France$17 million · 0.95%

Top importers

  1. Japan$577 million · 33%
  2. United States$180 million · 10.3%
  3. China$142 million · 8.1%
  4. Netherlands$53 million · 3%
    re-exports
  5. Peru$53 million · 3%
  6. India$50 million · 2.8%
  7. Poland$47 million · 2.7%
  8. United Kingdom$44 million · 2.5%
  9. France$44 million · 2.5%
  10. South Korea$43 million · 2.4%
  11. Mexico$41 million · 2.3%
  12. Thailand$33 million · 1.9%
  13. Pakistan$29 million · 1.7%
  14. Belgium$29 million · 1.7%
    re-exports
  15. Taiwan$29 million · 1.7%
  16. Germany$28 million · 1.6%
  17. Spain$21 million · 1.2%
  18. Italy$19 million · 1.1%
  19. Singapore$19 million · 1.1%
    re-exports
  20. Saudi Arabia$16 million · 0.92%

Trend

Who sells it

Indonesia has been the top exporter since 2019

Value in USD millions. The five largest exporters in 2024.

  • Indonesia 466
  • India 183
  • Sri Lanka 138
  • Malaysia 131
  • Mexico 112

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
Indonesia5.7466
India18.9183
Sri Lanka5138
Malaysia1.2131
Mexico25.5112

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne fell 53% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $255

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$546
1996$707
1997$617
1998$599
1999$571
2000$526
2001$571
2002$502
2003$524
2004$425
2005$439
2006$489
2007$494
2008$505
2009$402
2010$409
2011$465
2012$376
2013$321
2014$268
2015$249
2016$304
2017$273
2018$263
2019$248
2020$256
2021$302
2022$308
2023$259
2024$255

What it includes

  • 1404 · Cotton linters and other plant products

Sources and methodology

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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