The Agriculture Ministry estimates that cotton growing has become important source of income for nearly 100 million cotton growers. In cotton producing regions, income from this fluffy crop accounts for nearly one-third of the cash revenue of a farmer’s family. Compared to other types of crops, cotton farmers can get a higher return. In Xinjiang alone, nearly one million cotton pickers take away more than one billion yuan every year.

According to Customs statistics, in the five years after China joining the WTO, China has imported more than 8.30 million tons cotton. For the first seven months of this year alone, China’s Cotton imports amounted to 2.74 million tons, exceeding last year's total imports, among which, US cotton accounted for more than half. India, Australia, and other cotton-producing countries, and even some small countries in Africa have started planning to carve up China’s market.

In the past, China's cotton exports only concentrated in a few large exporters, linking with a few major international cotton merchants; now there are more than 50 countries exporting cotton to China, major cotton merchants extending to several dozens. The number of domestic importers has increased from a few large-scale state-owned enterprises to over 1,000 companies.

One picker from Henan could pick up about 15 kilograms cotton one day in Xinjiang, earning about 30-50 yuan. After the simple processes of selecting and packing here, the cotton is transported to workshops in Zhejiang, the all logistics cost is about 1,200 yuan per ton.

WTO is in the process of preparing a report to encourage cotton imports from the LDCs, so that these countries can benefit from China’s rapid development of the textile industry, and change China's negative image of an exporting country.

Therefore, in the global cotton circulation, it has been added with much non-economic background. Economists say this is the early running of globalization and operation rudiment.
 
Fibre2fashion, News Desk - China