LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD-TV) — China continues to play a decisive role in the international cotton market, even as it leads the world in production. For the 2025 crop year, Chinese output is projected at 31.5 million bales. However, the country still imported 5.3 million bales, ranking just behind Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Pakistan.
Import patterns are dictated by government quotas, which allow 894,000 tons at a low tariff rate of one percent, while additional imports face a 40 percent tariff.
“So, in the case of cotton, they don’t have a lot of other countries to turn to other than the United States; there aren’t that many countries that grow that cotton,” Midwest Marketing Solutions President Brian Hoops told RFD-TV News. “You look at where they can buy soybeans from—well, they have a monster crop out of South America, both Brazil and Argentina this year. Big corn crops out of Brazil, record-large there. They can buy corn and soybeans from other countries.”
Economists with the University of Georgia and the Georgia Cotton Commission explain that these policies, along with reserve stock programs, can cause dramatic swings in demand from year to year. Heavy purchases in 2023 lifted global demand, but reduced China’s need for imports in 2024 while boosting domestic output.
Past examples, including the 2012–2014 period, demonstrate that reserve build-ups followed by cutbacks can exert lasting pressure on global prices.
Tony’s Farm-Level Takeaway: For U.S. growers, the uncertainty adds risk during harvest and marketing. China’s buying decisions continue to be a critical factor in shaping cotton prices and export opportunities worldwide.
The U.S.-Japan tech pact signals long-term investment in bio-innovation, connectivity, and secure supply chains — all of which can strengthen rural manufacturing, ag exports, and digital infrastructure critical to the next generation of farm productivity.
October 28, 2025 11:01 AM
·
Imported lean beef continues to play a critical role in U.S. hamburger and ground-beef production, with any added volume from Argentina serving as a supplement — not a market overhaul.
October 27, 2025 11:51 AM
·
A fast-moving series of trade signals from the White House and key partners is resetting the near-term outlook for U.S. agriculture.
October 27, 2025 11:41 AM
·
Margin Protection and the new MCO add county-level margin tools — with earlier price discovery, input cost triggers, and high subsidy rates — to complement on-farm risk plans for 2026.
October 24, 2025 01:44 PM
·
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard joins Market Day Report for his insight on the USDA’s plan to strengthen the U.S. beef industry.
October 24, 2025 01:28 PM
·
Until a phased reopening is inked, plan for tighter feeder availability, firmer basis near border yards, and continued reliance on domestic and Canadian sources.
October 24, 2025 11:42 AM
·
Bangladesh’s buying surge offers temporary relief for U.S. farmers facing weaker Chinese demand, highlighting how global politics can reshape export outlets overnight.
October 24, 2025 10:57 AM
·
Rising demand for Comfort Colors t-shirts reinforces the pull for U.S.-grown cotton, linking rural fiber production to a fast-growing mainstream apparel brand.
October 23, 2025 03:06 PM
·
Sen. Roger Marshall explains which types of beef are imported into the United States, how there’s room for new imports, and logical reasons for current high prices.
October 23, 2025 12:10 PM
·
