Bangladesh may import 7.6 million bales of cotton in the marketing year 2026-27, starting on August 1, according to a projection by the United States Department of Agriculture.
In its July report on ‘Cotton: World Market and Trade’, the USDA left unchanged its projection of Bangladesh’s cotton imports at 7.6 million bales, as in the June report, which had previously forecast 7.8 million bales.
The USDA slashed its projection of Bangladesh’s cotton imports due to lower demand in June.
The USDA also slashed its projection of Bangladesh’s cotton imports to 7.4 million bales in the ongoing MY26, ending this month, from its earlier projection of 7.7 million bales due to lower consumption.
In April of this year, in its report titled ‘Cotton and Products Annual: Bangladesh’, the USDA lowered its forecast on Bangladesh’s cotton imports to 7.7 million bales for MY26 from its earlier projection of 7.9 million bales due to persistent energy supply shortages.
The USDA also warned that additional factors, including logistical disruptions and broader economic instability, could further weigh on imports.
In March, the agency had projected Bangladesh’s cotton imports at 7.9 million bales, revising down from the January projection of 8 million bales.
The report also stated that imports are expected to decline due to disruptions in yarn production and weaker demand in the ready-made garment sector.
Bangladesh, the world’s largest cotton importer and second-largest RMG exporter, might face a prolonged recovery before returning to peak operations and optimal lint utilisation, the USDA said.
Data showed that in the 2024–25 marketing year, Bangladesh imported 8.05 million bales of cotton, up from 7.57 million bales in MY24 and 7 million bales in MY23.
In its global outlook for FY27, the report stated that Global production might be up by 1.2 million bales to 117.3 million on larger crops in Brazil, Turkey, the US, and Uzbekistan.
Surpassing Bangladesh, Vietnam might import the highest amount of cotton in MY27, reaching 8 million bales, while China’s import could stand at 7 million bales, Pakistan’s at 5 million bales, and India’s at 2.5 million bales.
Although China, India, and Pakistan are among world’s top five cotton producers.
According to the USDA, Brazil is currently Bangladesh’s largest single cotton supplier, surpassing India, and West Africa remained the primary source region.
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Bangladesh’s downward revision is reflected in the negative growth in the country’s RMG exports in the financial year 2025-26, largely due to weak global demand and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh’s RMG exports stood at $38.7 billion during FY26, marking a 1.64 per cent decline from $39.35 billion in the same period of the previous year.
During this time, Bangladesh witnessed negative growth in most of its export destinations.
The USDA estimated Bangladesh’s domestic cotton production at around 153,000 bales from 45,000 hectares in MY26, accounting for less than 2 per cent of total consumption.
Cotton cultivation is concentrated in the western districts of Jashore, Jhenaidah, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Meherpur, and Magura.
Source: https://www.newagebd.net/