Year over year, the dollar value for total cotton shipments appreciated by 28% from $47.2 billion during 2020.
The largest exporters of cotton are China, India, United States of America, Brazil and Vietnam. Combined, that powerful cohort of main cotton shippers accounted for three-fifths (60.5%) of globally exported cotton in 2021.
From a continental perspective, Asian suppliers generated the highest portion of worldwide cotton exports at 63% of the global total. Sources in North America provided another 12.6% worth, trailed by exporters in Europe at 10.2% and those in Latin America (7.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Smaller percentages came from Africa (4.5%) and Oceania (2.5%) mainly Australia.
For research purposes, the two-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for cotton is 52. This broad classification includes raw cotton, cotton yarn, thread and woven fabrics.
Top Cotton Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cotton during 2021.
- China: US$12.4 billion (20.5% of total cotton exports)
- India: $10 billion (16.6%)
- United States: $7.2 billion (11.8%)
- Brazil: $3.6 billion (5.9%)
- Vietnam: $3.43 billion (5.7%)
- Pakistan: $3.41 billion (5.6%)
- Turkey: $2.3 billion (3.7%)
- Uzbekistan: $1.9 billion (3.2%)
- Australia: $1.5 billion (2.5%)
- Italy: $1.3 billion (2.1%)
- Indonesia: $868.4 million (1.4%)
- Greece: $849 million (1.4%)
- Germany: $744.7 million (1.2%)
- Spain: $725.4 million (1.2%)
- Hong Kong: $678.5 million (1.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 84.1% of global cotton exports in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cotton exporters from 2020 to 2021 were: Australia (up 374%), Greece (up 74.8%), India (up 72.6%) and Uzbekistan (up 60.5%).
Hong Kong was the lone top cotton provider to post a decline in its exported cotton sales flatlining with a -1.3% drop.
Countries Earning Largest Trade Surpluses from Cotton
The following countries recorded the highest positive net exports for cotton during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported cotton and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- India: US$9.3 billion (net export surplus up 75% since 2020)
- United States of America: $6.2 billion (up 1.3%)
- Brazil: $3.5 billion (up 7.1%)
- China: $2.6 billion (down -5.4%)
- Uzbekistan: $1.9 billion (up 61.9%)
- Pakistan: $1.5 billion (up 20.3%)
- Australia: $1.4 billion (up 466.9%)
- Greece: $754.5 million (up 81.7%)
- Benin: $612.9 million (up 35.6%)
- Burkina Faso: $454.6 million (up 73.3%)
- Turkmenistan: $312.2 million (up 73.5%)
- Azerbaijan: $267.4 million (up 77.6%)
- Spain: $267.3 million (up 51.9%)
- Tajikistan: $254.6 million (up 47.8%)
- Austria: $208.4 million (up 29.7%)
Overtaking the United States of America in 2021, India garnered the highest surplus in the international trade of cotton. In turn, these positive cashflows confirm these leading countries’ strong competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Causing Worst Trade Deficits from Cotton
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for cotton during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported cotton purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Bangladesh: -US$8.3 billion (net export deficit up 57.2% since 2020)
- Vietnam: -$1.6 billion (up 57.4%)
- Turkey: -$1.4 billion (up 34.2%)
- Indonesia: -$997.7 million (up 46.1%)
- South Korea: -$824.3 million (up 62.5%)
- Russia: -$677.4 million (up 43.3%)
- Tunisia: -$585.7 million (up 20.6%)
- Portugal: -$561.4 million (up 54.9%)
- Morocco: -$548.6 million (up 49.8%)
- Sri Lanka: -$545 million (up 10.8%)
- Cambodia: -$527.2 million (up 19.4%)
- Mexico: -$526.8 million (up 293.3%)
- Colombia: -$517.5 million (up 113.9%)
- Guatemala: -$432.5 million (up 92.6%)
- Peru: -$386 million (up 66.1%)
A world leader manufacturing apparel, Bangladesh incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of cotton–a key component for making a wide range of clothing and related articles. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Bangladesh’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for cotton-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful Bangladeshi demand.
Searchable List of Cotton Exporting Countries in 2021
By value, the top 100 cotton exporters in the table below accounted for 99.9% of cotton shipped in 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Exported Cotton (US$) | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $12,363,347,000 | +12.4% |
| 2. | India | $10,028,337,000 | +72.6% |
| 3. | United States | $7,157,498,000 | +2.3% |
| 4. | Brazil | $3,592,836,000 | +8.2% |
| 5. | Vietnam | $3,434,817,000 | +26.9% |
| 6. | Pakistan | $3,413,592,000 | +29.1% |
| 7. | Turkey | $2,265,806,000 | +54.8% |
| 8. | Uzbekistan | $1,926,313,000 | +60.5% |
| 9. | Australia | $1,510,948,000 | +374% |
| 10. | Italy | $1,253,850,000 | +30.6% |
| 11. | Indonesia | $868,397,000 | +34.7% |
| 12. | Greece | $848,974,000 | +74.8% |
| 13. | Germany | $744,677,000 | +8.2% |
| 14. | Spain | $725,368,000 | +44.3% |
| 15. | Hong Kong | $678,532,000 | -1.3% |
| 16. | Benin | $637,266,000 | +34.9% |
| 17. | Egypt | $521,720,000 | +29.4% |
| 18. | Austria | $509,539,000 | +20.8% |
| 19. | Burkina Faso | $459,057,000 | +72.9% |
| 20. | South Korea | $445,536,000 | +19.2% |
| 21. | Mexico | $431,953,000 | +13.4% |
| 22. | Thailand | $357,863,000 | +9.2% |
| 23. | Japan | $332,103,000 | +5.3% |
| 24. | Netherlands | $322,774,000 | +17.9% |
| 25. | Turkmenistan | $313,691,000 | +73.5% |
| 26. | Taiwan | $297,405,000 | +22.6% |
| 27. | France | $295,176,000 | +25.6% |
| 28. | Azerbaijan | $273,003,000 | +74.1% |
| 29. | Malaysia | $268,511,000 | +9.1% |
| 30. | Ivory Coast | $266,594,000 | -14.4% |
| 31. | Tajikistan | $256,344,000 | +47.5% |
| 32. | Belgium | $237,816,000 | +1.3% |
| 33. | Portugal | $226,391,000 | +33% |
| 34. | United Kingdom | $204,733,000 | +10.7% |
| 35. | Argentina | $186,994,000 | +58.8% |
| 36. | Dominican Republic | $184,943,000 | +53.5% |
| 37. | Afghanistan | $166,019,000 | +39.5% |
| 38. | El Salvador | $118,926,000 | +121.6% |
| 39. | Czech Republic | $115,317,000 | +12.2% |
| 40. | Sudan | $114,544,000 | -7.2% |
| 41. | Kazakhstan | $113,976,000 | +14.1% |
| 42. | Switzerland | $105,241,000 | -29% |
| 43. | Mali | $97,649,000 | +93.7% |
| 44. | Togo | $91,009,000 | +8.7% |
| 45. | Bangladesh | $88,528,000 | +26.5% |
| 46. | Tanzania | $87,575,000 | -7% |
| 47. | Romania | $73,846,000 | +21.3% |
| 48. | Denmark | $72,044,000 | +33.1% |
| 49. | Poland | $70,147,000 | +21.7% |
| 50. | South Africa | $69,227,000 | +59% |
| 51. | Israel | $66,236,000 | +251.1% |
| 52. | Russia | $64,607,000 | +7.4% |
| 53. | Guatemala | $63,775,000 | +85.5% |
| 54. | Zimbabwe | $51,303,000 | +70.6% |
| 55. | Cameroon | $51,150,000 | +186.6% |
| 56. | Bulgaria | $46,533,000 | +38.8% |
| 57. | Hungary | $45,198,000 | -14.5% |
| 58. | Nicaragua | $44,585,000 | +263.2% |
| 59. | Tunisia | $40,301,000 | +24.2% |
| 60. | Morocco | $39,315,000 | +15.2% |
| 61. | Belarus | $39,083,000 | +17% |
| 62. | Mauritius | $36,061,000 | -8.6% |
| 63. | Costa Rica | $34,609,000 | +38.1% |
| 64. | Kyrgyzstan | $34,442,000 | +28% |
| 65. | Mozambique | $30,880,000 | +45% |
| 66. | Syria | $29,587,000 | -26.4% |
| 67. | Canada | $28,215,000 | +12.3% |
| 68. | Ecuador | $25,377,000 | +29.2% |
| 69. | Nigeria | $24,640,000 | +64.3% |
| 70. | Lithuania | $24,585,000 | -10.2% |
| 71. | Peru | $23,707,000 | +47.4% |
| 72. | Zambia | $22,955,000 | +26.1% |
| 73. | Slovenia | $21,765,000 | +6.4% |
| 74. | Colombia | $17,569,000 | +113% |
| 75. | Lesotho | $17,310,000 | -19% |
| 76. | Sweden | $16,504,000 | +14.5% |
| 77. | Senegal | $16,176,000 | +59.6% |
| 78. | Uganda | $15,169,000 | -59.6% |
| 79. | North Macedonia | $14,524,000 | +9.7% |
| 80. | Singapore | $13,774,000 | -33% |
| 81. | Croatia | $12,914,000 | +30.2% |
| 82. | Cambodia | $12,784,000 | +36.1% |
| 83. | Myanmar | $12,740,000 | -54% |
| 84. | Ethiopia | $12,152,000 | +135.3% |
| 85. | Paraguay | $10,606,000 | +51.9% |
| 86. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $9,504,000 | +42% |
| 87. | Algeria | $9,267,000 | +24.8% |
| 88. | United Arab Emirates | $8,333,000 | -80.6% |
| 89. | Serbia | $8,055,000 | +44.9% |
| 90. | Latvia | $7,738,000 | +20.9% |
| 91. | Finland | $7,561,000 | +1.2% |
| 92. | Norway | $7,467,000 | +20.1% |
| 93. | Chad | $6,895,000 | +19.4% |
| 94. | Philippines | $6,219,000 | +16% |
| 95. | Sri Lanka | $6,163,000 | -58.3% |
| 96. | Venezuela | $5,505,000 | +49% |
| 97. | Oman | $4,637,000 | -22.4% |
| 98. | Madagascar | $4,454,000 | +100.7% |
| 99. | Slovakia | $4,169,000 | -15.2% |
| 100. | Western Sahara | $3,328,000 | -40.7% |
Posting triple-digit percentage gains in their international sales of cotton were Australia (up 374% from 2020), Nicaragua (up 263.2%), Israel (up 251.1%), Cameroon (up 186.6%), Ethiopia (up 135.3%), El Salvador (up 121.6%), Colombia (up 113%) then Madagascar (up 100.7%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means no 2020 data was available.
See also Cotton Imports by Country, T-shirt Exports by Country, Leather Shoes Exports by Country, Top Exported Baby Clothing Sales and Top Exported Hats by Country
Research Sources:
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 4, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 4, 2022
Wikipedia, Cotton. Accessed on July 4, 2022
