An expected 17 million ton cotton supply shortfall by 2010 will require China to import 70% of its cotton needs, Xu Wenying, chairman of the China Cotton and Textile Association, told China Textile News. Based on the current rate of expansion in the textiles sector, which Xu said was growing 20% a year in terms of cotton yarn used, China, which is the world’s largest cotton consumer, would need 24 million tons of cotton a year by 2010. Although China is the world’s largest cotton producer, ...