The record of raw cotton exported from India in the years 1924-25 is as follows, the unit being bales of 400 pounds:[1]
[1. Review of the Trade of India in 1924-25, Calcutta, Government of India Central Publication Branch, 1926, p. 73.]
Japan 1,671,000 Italy 485,000 China (excluding Hong Kong) 284,000 Belgium 201,000 Germany 174,000 The United Kingdom 162,000
Of the raw cotton exported to England the Lancashire looms use little because of its inferior quality, buying, rather, in Egypt and in America.
India's total raw cotton export, in 1924-25, was 3,326,400 bales.[2] Her consumption in Indian mills during that period was 2,050,891 bales.
[2. Ibid., pp. 21-2.]
Japan's purchase is mostly of the poorer grades of cotton and is mainly used in competing in China with the product of India's mills. In 1924 there were 337 cotton mills in British India. These are nearly all Indian-owned and as a rule have British superintendents and foremen, with Indian labor. The following figures[3] will further clarify the situation:
[3. Review of the Trade of India in 1924-25, p. 23.]
1913-14 1922-23 1923-24 1924-25
Million Million Million Million
Yards Yards Yards Yards
Production in Indian mills of cotton piece goods 1,164.3 15725.2 1,701.6 1,970.5
Export of Indian-milled piece goods 89.2 157.0 165.3 181.5
Imports of foreign-made cotton piece-goods, from
all countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan,
Italy, Netherlands and the United States. 3,197.1 1,593.3 1,485.8 1,823.2
It will thus be seen that while the production and the export trade of India have been rising, the import trade is about half what it was before 1914.