BEIJING: China imported 122,900 tonnes of cotton in September, down 39 percent on the same month of last year, said the China Cotton Association, citing customs.

For the first nine months of the year, Chinese imports of the fibre have dropped by 38 percent to 2 million tonnes.

The world's top cotton consumer has imported less of the fibre this year as higher global prices and limited import quotas forced mills to import yarn instead.

Copyright Reuters, 2014