Three Chinese and three U.S. cotton cultivars were compared for yield potential and fiber quality at Florence, SC in 1986. The cultivars were grown at three locations and each test consisted of a randomized complete block design with five replications. Except for the Chinese cultivar '86-1', all cultivars produced comparable seed cotton yields. The lint percentages of 'Deltapine 50' and 86-1 were significantly lower than those of the other cultivars; therefore, their lint yields were significantly reduced. The lint percentages of the Chinese cultivars, 'Jimian 8' and 'Ering 92' were significantly higher than most of those of the U.S. cultivars, and they produced comparable lint yields.The U.S. cultivars, 'PD-3' and 'Coker 315' produced significantly longer and stronger fibers than those of the other cultivars. PD-3 produces fibers that approach Acala cottons in fiber strength. Deltapine 50 and Ering 92 produced fibers that meet the minimum standards for fiber length. Jimian 8 produced extremely short, coarse fibers that would be discounted in the U.S. marketplace. Fiber strengths of all the Chinese cultivars were significantly lower than those of U.S. cultivars; however, yarn tenacity of 86-1 and Ering 92 were equivalent to that of Deltapine 50, which meets minimum requirements in the U.S. textile industry. The higher yarn tenacity and lower yield of 86-1 was attributed to very fine fibers.