U.S. mill consumption of cotton has posted a substantial increase in recent years with usage reaching a 43-year high in calendar year 1993 at an estimated 10.3 million bales. Two major factors which have contributed to the rise are: (1), continued gains in cotton's market share; (2), improved competitiveness of the U.S. spinning industry due in part to the depreciation of the U.S. dollar from 1985 to 1992. While most economic and market share fundamentals remain positive for U.S. mill cotton consumption in 1994 and 1995, net imports of processed cotton textiles and apparel have increased in the past two seasons relative to the total U.S. demand for cotton. The rise in the U.S. dollar in 1993 will contribute to further gains in the net import share in 1994. Mill consumption of cotton will likely remain strong in the next two years, although consumption above 10.3 million bales will be difficult to achieve.