China 2012 cotton imports likely to fall sharply on bumper 2011 harvest -Cotton Institute

Beijing. China's cotton imports in 2012 are likely to fall sharply from last year as a bumper domestic harvest will curb demand for imported cotton, the Cotton Research Institute, which operates under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said Friday.

Cotton imports this year are likely to reach 2.52 million-3.03 million metric tons, down 10%-25% from last year, the institute said in a report published on the China Cotton Association's website.

Meanwhile, a slowing global economy will weigh on China's exports of textile products, the report said.

China will harvest its 2012 cotton beginning around October.

China's 2011 cotton production rose 10.7% to 6.6 million tons, government data showed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier estimated China's 2011 output at 7.29 million tons.

In 2011, China imported 3.4 million tons, an increase of 18.6%.

China is the world's largest cotton importer. It gets most of its supplies from the U.S., Uzbekistan and Australia.