In April 2023, cotton yarn prices stood at $5,651 per tonne (CIF, Italy), down -9.8% from the previous month. The import price displayed a consistent decline, with August 2022 marking the highest growth rate at 14%, reaching a peak of $7,772 per tonne. However, from September 2022 to April 2023, average import prices remained stagnant.
Diverse price trends across nations
Significant price disparities were evident among major cotton yarn providers. Egypt commanded the highest price at $9,706 per tonne in April 2023, while Spain offered some of the lowest rates at $3,348 per tonne. Spain experienced the most growth from April 2022 to April 2023 (+0.8%), while other primary suppliers observed declines.
Variability in Italian cotton yarn import prices by type
The price of cotton yarn not intended for retail sale, containing 85% or more cotton, stood at $6,181 per tonne, while yarn with less than 85% cotton was priced at $3,370 per tonne. Notably, price fluctuations were notable based on product type, with retail-ready cotton yarn showing a slight growth rate (-0.6%) compared to falling prices of other items.
Italy's fluctuating cotton yarn imports
Italy's cotton yarn imports surged to 5.6K tonnes in April 2023, a 7.2% rise from March 2023. This growth was most pronounced in September 2022, with a 101% increase compared to the previous month. While the April 2023 imported cotton yarn value was $32M (IndexBox estimates), overall imports saw a notable decline. The exceptional 66% m-o-m growth in September 2022 marked the highest rate.
Dominant cotton yarn imports by type in Italy
In April 2023, Italy's prime import was cotton yarn (other than sewing thread), with 85% or more cotton content, accounting for 77% of all imports (4.3K tonnes). This significantly exceeded imports of cotton yarn with less than 85% cotton content, at 973 tonnes. Between April 2022 and 2023, imported cotton yarn not intended for retail sale declined at an average monthly rate of -3.6%. Other types displayed varying growth: cotton yarn (other than sewing thread), less than 85% cotton, not for retail sale (+0.7% per month), and retail-ready cotton yarn (+13.8% per month).
