Imports of top quality Supima cotton from the United States increased last year to 2,19,360 lakh US bales (480 pounds each) from 1.74,822 bales in 2020, owing mainly to leading US brands shifting their garment sourcing to India.
Bruce Atherley, Executive Director of Cotton Council International, stated at a recent industry event that brands are becoming more responsible in their sourcing strategies as sustainability and transparency are no longer optional. Leading brands are mapping their supply chains back to spinning mills and looking for reliable supply chain partners.
Supima cotton is a high-quality type of cotton made from Gossypium barbadense. It is considered one of the softest and strongest forms of cotton globally, and the methods of production and certification used for Supima cotton are different from those used for Pima cotton. The cotton fibers derived from the Gossypium barbadense plant are considered the extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, which means that they measure at least 34 millimeters in length. For comparison, most cotton fibers are 20 millimeters long or less. This extra length makes Gossypium barbadense cotton fibers more tensile and easier to form into high-quality yarn.
Bruce Atherley, Executive Director of Cotton Council International, stated at a recent industry event that brands are becoming more responsible in their sourcing strategies as sustainability and transparency are no longer optional. Leading brands are mapping their supply chains back to spinning mills and looking for reliable supply chain partners.
Supima cotton is a high-quality type of cotton made from Gossypium barbadense. It is considered one of the softest and strongest forms of cotton globally, and the methods of production and certification used for Supima cotton are different from those used for Pima cotton. The cotton fibers derived from the Gossypium barbadense plant are considered the extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, which means that they measure at least 34 millimeters in length. For comparison, most cotton fibers are 20 millimeters long or less. This extra length makes Gossypium barbadense cotton fibers more tensile and easier to form into high-quality yarn.
While Supima and Pima cotton fabrics are different products, both types of cotton are derived from fibers of the Gossypium barbadense tree, and fabrics made from this type of cotton are commonly used in high-end consumer textiles. Other upscale textiles can only be washed in cold water, but Supima and Pima cotton can be washed in warm water and even be tumble dried.