The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will permit textile mills to import a
limited amount of raw cotton under the program designed to help make US textile manufacturers
competitive in world markets. This is the third time this year the USDA has announced special
import quotas in the 2003-04 marketing year. The clearance to import was taken under the so-called
Step #3 of the government’s cotton competitiveness program, and it will allow imports of about one
week’s domestic mill consumption, or about 119,000 bales. This is because the price for domestic
cotton has exceeded the world price. The special import quota will cover purchases made between May
20 and August 17 and entered into the US no later than Nov. 15. Despite some of the earlier import
quotas, the USDA reports that only 2,600 bales of upland cotton have been imported since August of
2003.
May 2004
