Cotton imports rise to meet domestic industry’s quality, supply requirements: Govt to Parliament

New Delhi: Cotton imports from the US are increasing to meet the quality and supply needs of the domestic textile industry, which consumes about 94% of India’s cotton, the government told Parliament.

“During August-September 2025, including the period after temporary exemption of 11% import duty, imports from the US are in line with industry needs,” minister of state for textiles Pabitra Margherita said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Overall, cotton imports in India increased from 15.2 lakh bales in 2023-24 to 41.40 lakh bales in 2024-25, helping bridge the supply-demand gap.
“These imports ensure the availability of specialty cotton varieties and support export-oriented production, thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of the Indian textile sector,” he said.

In a separate response, he said cotton imports are limited and largely restricted to special varieties such as Extra Long Staple and the temporary duty exemption is not expected to adversely affect farmers as MSP operations are maintained on a continuous basis.

Domestic cotton prices fell to around 751,500-752,500 per sugar in line with global trends, stabilizing the affordability of the textile industry while protecting farmers’ interests and strengthening India’s export competitiveness.