LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD News) — Domestic textile activity remained weak in June as premium cotton use fell sharply and mills continued relying heavily on synthetic fiber. USDA says extra-long staple cotton consumption totaled only 70,000 pounds, down 53 percent from June 2025.
Extra-long staple stocks reached 139,000 pounds at month’s end. That was 14 percent above May but still 53 percent below a year earlier, underscoring limited movement through the small domestic premium-cotton market.
Cotton-system mills consumed 20.7 million pounds of manmade fiber during June, up 16 percent from May but down 8 percent from last year. Polyester staple accounted for 94 percent of that total.
The industry reported 545,000 cotton-system spindles. Active spindles using 100 percent cotton totaled 273,000, down slightly from May and 1 percent from June 2025. Operating hours also declined.
The report does not include total Upland cotton consumption, so it cannot measure complete domestic cotton demand. Still, falling premium-cotton use and limited spindle activity reinforce concerns about weak U.S. textile manufacturing.
