Cotton sheet and terry towel imports climb

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 12/7/2005 12:57:00 PM

WASHINGTON – The government’s preliminary report on textiles exports for the first 11 months of 2005 shows a year-over-year boom in cotton sheet imports and a solid gain in cotton terry towels.

Total cotton terry towel imports through the end of November rose 36.6 percent. The biggest gainers were China, up 308.6 percent, and Pakistan, up 128.5 percent. India – whose total volume year-to-date is more than three times China’s – rose 20.3 percent.

Cotton sheet imports raced ahead by 84.9 percent during the period. China Brazil and Pakistan led the way, up 504.9 percent, 406.4 percent and 405.6 percent, respectively. Turkey boosted shipments by 101.5 percent, and India jumped ahead 61.2 percent.