Diagram of World Cotton Trade and Production Process

It is important to look at the trade of cotton at the global scale. Columbia is the 34^TH largest producer of cotton in the world, exporting 0.1 million bales annually. Although some Colombian cotton is exported to Peru, most is processed internally.

The major cotton exporters are the USA, Franc Zone, Uzbekistan, Australia and India.

This comparison of three natural fibers illustrates their distinct production processes.Cotton and jute require shorter cultivation (between 4 and 7 months), however they both need a large amount of manufacturing in order to arrive at their final product. Rattan takes far longer to cultivate (between 6 and 7 years) but can be processed entirely by hand.