Top cotton exporting countries 2023/2024

The United States was the leading exporter of cotton worldwide in 2023/2024. In that time period, the U.S. cotton industry had an export volume of about 2.68 million metric tons. 

Cotton products

Cotton is one of the most versatile and widely used materials. It is one of the most popular textiles in the clothing manufacturing industry, as well as a common material in paper products. Medical gauze, cotton swabs and rounds, and traditional diapers are all made using cotton. In addition, cottonseed oil is derived from cotton plants and can be used for cooking, soap making, or cosmetics. In 2022/2023, an estimated 5.02 million metric tons of cottonseed oil were produced worldwide.

Cotton production in the U.S.

The area planted with cotton in the United States has increased between 2015 and 2019. In the 2015/2016 crop year, some 8.42 million acres of cotton were planted in the United States, and by 2018/2019 this figure is expected to increase to 13.85 million acres. The U.S. state with the most cotton production is Texas. Georgia came in second among the leading cotton producers in the United States.