One of the basic crops, cotton makes a key input in the world’s food, agriculture and textile industries. 64% goes to apparel, 28% is used for furnishings, and 8% accounts for industrial products. Only in the US cotton stimulates $120 billion of business revenue. In general, China is the biggest consumer and producer of cotton, serving 43% of the world’s consumption and 29% of the world’s production. Increasing demand for cotton on the emerging markets is the key driver for cotton prices. Traded on the New York Board of Trade, Cotton No. 2 has the ticker symbol CT.