According to the statistics released by the Wool of Uruguay on Sep. 14, during the first ten months of this wool season, Uruguay’s total wool export amounted to 52,220 tons, with an increase of 40.8% from the same period last year. Especially for matted lock of wool and washed wool, surged 216.9% and 56.3% respectively year on year.

China is the largest consumer of wool textiles, taking 32.1% of Uruguay’s wool exports, while the counterpart of Italy was 17.4%, Germany 10.2%, Mexico 6%, Brazil 5%, and Argentina 3.8 %.

Mr. Carlos H. Díaz Hernández from Uruguay’s CHD Wool S.A views the Chinese wool market as being composed of four distinct sectors: 1) Superfine wools of 18.5 microns and finer, aiming at high-value garments; 2) Wools between 20 and 24 microns, which have their place both with fine worsted weavers and knitters; 3) The traditional market segment of wools up to 30 microns used for hand-knitting yarns; and 4) The carpet sector using the coarser and cheaper wools.

He said the great volume of wools between 27 and 31 microns produced in South America, and their quality in terms of length and staple strength, allow blending with shorter and inferior-quality wools therefore demand for South American mid-micron Corriedale wools will remain and increase.