U.S. Cotton ExportsExceed Domestic ConsumptionAt the National Cotton Councils 02 Beltwide Cotton
Production Conference held in Atlanta, William B. Dunavant Jr., chairman and CEO, Dunavant
Enterprises, Memphis, Tenn., had good news to report regarding consumption of U.S. cotton.Dunavant
said that of an estimated 20.05 million bales produced in 2001, 9.8 million were exported, compared
with U.S. consumption of 7.6 million bales. Dunavant projected 2002-03 crop-year production at 18
million bales, including 7.8 million for U.S. consumption and 10 million for export. Anderson D.
Warlick, CEO, Parkdale Mills, Gastonia, N.C., citing the U.S. textile industrys severe decline and
its loss of more than 60,000 workers, as well as the 26- to 30-percent drop in average prices of
Asian yarn and fabric imported into the United States, called on the industry to demand enforcement
of U.S. trade laws. He noted that enforcement of rules governing trans shipments would enable U.S.
mills to consume an additional 1 million bales of cotton.J. Berrye Worsham III, president and CEO,
Cotton Incorporated, Cary, N.C., said the U.S. cotton sector must become more export-oriented due
to the changing distribution of its customer base. His organizations objectives for improving
demand for and profitability of cotton include improving the yield, value and quality of U.S.
cotton production and development of stronger foreign markets for cotton exports, among other
goals.
February 2002
