SM cotton is primarily sourced from Equatorial Africa, and SLM cotton from Central Africa and the Former Soviet Union. ELS cotton is primarily sourced from the U.S., Egypt and Israel.
Factors Affecting U.S. Cotton
· U.S. cotton competitiveness in the Iberian Peninsula market is primarily affected by high export and shipping costs.
· Industry sources claim there are also technical issues of some importance. These include a relatively high incidence of neps, high micronaire, and low grades with coloring problems.
· The local trade also reports that trade practices adopted by U.S. cotton exporters are not flexible enough compared to those of other countries.
· PIMA has emerged in recent years as the most competitive U.S. cotton type. The threads and materials production from ELS cotton have a comparatively high margin vis-à-vis other cotton types. However, U.S. PIMA cotton competes with Egyptian and Israeli ELS cotton.
United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service
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