2032 Forecast
$65.0B3.4% CAGR
base-case trajectory
A $13.4B gain over seven years, driven by premiumisation and recycled-content price pull, not volume (which grows ~1%/yr).
Buyer Power Score
−1.6
supplier-favoured (−5…+5)
Concentrated trade houses, weather-exposed upstream and limited in-season fibre substitution keep the tilt with suppliers.
Global Trade Flow
$43.8B
43.8M bales traded
China is now the largest single importer (~7-9M bales/yr); combined Asia takes ~75% of cross-border flow.
Production Base
119.4M
480-lb bales, 2025/26
Global lint output for 2025/26 (USDA); the physical supply base behind traded value, growing ~1%/yr while value compounds 3.4%.