MUMBAI: Cotton exports from India, the world’s second-biggest producer and seller, are expected to fall 41 per cent to 7 million bales this crop year ending on Sept 30 as top buyer China curbs purchases, Textile Commissioner Kiran Soni Gupta said.

India on Tuesday also lowered the production estimate to 39m bales from the previous forecast of 40m bales made in October. The prior export forecast was 9m bales for this season.

China, the world’s largest cotton importer, accounts for more than 60pc of total raw cotton exports from India. The rest goes to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

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