News and Articles

• Extra-long staple cotton consumption fell 53% year over year.
• Mill stocks rose 14% sequentially but remained 53% lower annually.
• Cotton-only active spindle numbers edged lower.
• Softer mill activity reduces immediate purchasing pressure.
• Polyester remains an important competing fibre for textile mills.

US textile mills showed softer demand for extra-long staple cotton in the latest federal manufacturing survey, with consumption falling sharply from the comparable prior-year level. Mill inventories increased from the preceding reporting period, but they remained well below their level a year earlier. The combination gives cotton buyers a useful reading on immediate fibre requirements and operating activity across domestic spinning facilities.

Extra-long staple consumption was 70,000 pounds, representing a 53% year-on-year decline. Stocks held at mills totaled 139,000 pounds, increasing 14% from the previous month but remaining 53% lower than a year earlier. The figures indicate that mills replenished some inventories even as consumption remained weak.

Spinning activity also showed little expansion. The cotton system had 545,000 spindles, with 273,000 active spindles dedicated entirely to cotton. The number of cotton-only active spindles slipped by less than 1% from the prior month and by 1% from the comparable year-earlier period.

For cotton procurement teams, lower mill consumption can reduce pressure to secure additional fibre quickly. Mills carrying adequate contracted material may have more room to stagger purchases rather than adding inventory ahead of confirmed production orders. The purchasing decision still depends on fibre grade, staple length and customer requirements because extra-long staple cotton serves narrower applications than standard upland fibre.

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Inventory figures need to be considered alongside consumption. Stocks increased sequentially, which provides mills with slightly more immediate coverage, but the steep annual decline shows that inventories remain lean compared with earlier operating conditions. Buyers that depend on limited grades should avoid interpreting weaker consumption as evidence that every specification is readily available.

The survey also points to competition from manmade fibres. Total manmade-fibre consumption on cotton-system equipment rose from the preceding month, and polyester represented 94% of that volume. This gives manufacturers another input option for products where cotton-polyester blends or synthetic fibres meet performance requirements.

Procurement teams can use the softer mill-demand signal when discussing delivery schedules, contracted quantities and inventory targets. Fibre availability, quality requirements and downstream textile orders should remain central to purchasing decisions rather than headline consumption alone.