Wool Consumption

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32234, 28 February 1970, Page 19

Wool Consumption

fN.ZP.A. Staff Correspondent)

LONDON, February 26.

In spite of an end-of-year slackening, world raw wool consumption in 1989 was estimated to be 4 per cent higher than in 1968.

This was reported by the commodities section of the Commonwealth Secretariat yesterday. The section said that the industry had experienced buoyant conditions in the early part of 1969, but that subsequently signs of a setback had appeared in a number of countries, particularly the United States, and, to a lesser extent, the United Kingdom. Consumption of materials other than wool by the wool textile industry rose during the year by 7 per cent. Accordingly raw wool’s share of total materials consumed by the industry fell by 1 per cent to 47 per cent The share of man-made fibres moved up 2j per cent to 33 per cent. Japan replaced the United Kingdom during the year as the world’s largest wool consumer, with a consumption rise of 6 per cent. The wool industries in France and Italy each absorbed 10 per cent more wool, while those of the United

States and the United Kingdom took 6 per cent and 2 per cent less respectively. The section said that world production of wool tops and worsted yarns was up by 4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. Production of woollen yarns and woven fabrics rose by about 2 per cent.