US imports of synthetic apparel this year have overtaken cotton garments for the first time in decades. Fears cotton is losing the battle to manmade fibers have come true. Of 19.43 billion sq. mt. equivalents (sme) of apparel shipped to the United States through September, 9.87 billion was clothing made primarily of synthetic fibers like polyester and viscose. Some 9.16 billion sq. sme was made primarily of cotton.

It’s the first time since 1991 that cotton apparel imports in the world’s largest market were lower than those made of synthetic fibers. Volumes of cotton apparel imported during the first nine months of the year were down two per cent from the same period in 2013, even as overall apparel import demand rose. Synthetic imports were up nearly 9 per cent from September 2013.

Yarn mills have switched spindles to polyester and it’s like due to years of high cotton prices and improving synthetic technology. Falling polyester prices have dashed hopes that lower cotton prices will renew demand. Cotton prices have plunged 30 per cent year-to-date. Global cotton stocks are ballooning. World inventories are expected to reach a whopping amount by the end of July 2015, enough to satisfy demand for nearly a full year.