More than half of the cotton produced in Brazil supplies the international market, with the country leading global exports. However, feather could fill the national textile industry, if it weren’t for the more competitive costs of imported synthetic fibers. Today, the national market consumes around 700 thousand tons of cotton, but wants to reach the first million tons annually by 2030, according to sector entities.
One of them is the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa), which defends the increase in consumption of cotton wool in the domestic market. Recently, the organization revised upwards, by 3.3%, the textile sector’s export expectations for 2026. In 2025, shipments grew 8%, totaling US$908 million. Despite the progress, the cotton that serves as raw material for the industry is more imported than of Brazilian origin due to costs.
Imports from the textile industry reached US$6.6 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of US$5.7 billion for the apparel chain. Currently, the national industry consumes around 700 thousand tons of Brazilian plume, but the goal is to at least reach 1 million tons, according to Abrapa.
The textile and clothing sector brings together more than 25 thousand companies, responsible for 1.31 million jobs and around R$39.1 billion in annual remuneration. Between January and November 2025, 9,400 jobs were created in the textile industry and 12,400 in the clothing industry.
In the same period, textile production grew 6.8%, while clothing production increased just 0.7%. For 2026, Abrapa projects a modest expansion of 1.1%.
The textile industry transforms fibers into threads and fabrics, while the clothing industry uses these inputs to produce clothes and other goods. Despite being integrated, the two activities face volatility linked to the price of cotton, the sector’s main raw material.
The Brazilian Association of the Textile and Clothing Industry (Abit) recommends caution regarding the prospects, conditioning a more robust recovery on the recovery of domestic credit, falling interest rates and controlling inflation.
According to the entity, the high cost of capital limits investments and intensifies external competition, especially for products imported from China. On the global stage, Abit estimates that the clothing market will reach US$2.3 trillion by 2030, with average annual growth of 4%.
Abit’s managing director, Fernando Valente Pimentel, assessed that the sector made progress despite the adverse economic environment. “We reached 2026 at a slower pace than we started in 2025, surrounded by important structural challenges, especially those related to competitiveness and international trade,” he stated.
For the production chain, the quality of Brazilian fiber is a differentiator. Marcio Portocarrero, executive director of Abrapa, highlighted that the country supplies high-quality cotton to the global industry.
“Brazil competes with first-rate cotton. The industry requires sophisticated raw materials, and the country has been increasing quality and sustainability in the last six years, essential factors to compete in the international market”, he told CNN Brasil.
Still, competition with cheaper synthetic fibers remains a relevant obstacle. According to Portocarrero, despite the increasing incorporation of cotton in products, the demand for synthetic materials remains high, even with environmental and health impacts.
Abrapa projects exports of 3.2 million tons of cotton in the 2025/26 harvest, an increase of 13% over the previous cycle. China, responsible for 32% of Brazilian purchases in the last harvest, should remain as the main destination.
With shipments of 2.8 million tons in the last cycle, Brazil consolidated itself as the world’s largest exporter of fiber. For the current season, however, the planted area is expected to drop 5.5%, to 2.05 million hectares.
According to Portocarrero, the reduction follows lower global demand, but does not compromise Brazilian leadership compared to competitors such as the United States, India and China.
Even with a smaller area, climatic conditions, stocks and profitability must guarantee high productivity. “The scenario remains favorable for future production expansion, if global demand recovers and investment conditions improve,” he stated.
In a report released in January, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintained Brazil as the world’s main exporter, projecting shipments of 3.157 million tons — an increase of 11.3%. Brazilian production is estimated at 4.082 million tons, an increase of 10.3%, which consolidates the country as the third largest global producer in the 2025/26 harvest.
