Reliable sources in China's cotton industry, combined with data on rail shipments of the Xinjiang 2006 crop, now indicate that the official NBS estimates for the 2005 and 2006 crops were, in fact, too low.
Incorporating this information into the China estimates, has allowed USDA to reduce, but not to eliminate, the residuals for 2005/06 and 2006/07.
The 2007 production estimate also is raised since USDA expects production to remain at about the same level as 2006. USDA will continue to investigate both data sources and methods to improve it's estimation of China's balance sheet, and may make further revisions at a later date.
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United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service