USDA Unveils Great American Cotton Plan Aimed at Industry-wide Improvement
June 1, 2026 On May 28, USDA unveiled the Great American Cotton Plan, a comprehensive initiative designed to “strengthen the cotton farm economy, restore domestic textile manufacturing, expand cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products made with American-grown cotton,” according to a release from the department.
The multi-pronged plan intends to address several challenges that plague the cotton industry through four key pillars: Promoting domestic cotton consumption; Providing affordable cotton by increasing domestic demand and production; Improving cotton trade; and protecting cotton growers from adverse risk.
“Since 1607, cotton has helped build and sustain rural America,” said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. “Our farmers grow some of the highest-quality cotton in the world, but over the last several years, America’s cotton growers have been crushed by rising costs, unfair foreign competition, and a flood of cheap synthetic products. In 2023, we lost our status as the world’s top cotton exporter to Brazil. This change starts today.
“The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring American cotton once again becomes the fiber of choice with the Great American Cotton Plan,” she said.
Rollins further framed the Great American Cotton Plan as in line with the Trump Administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again priorities, citing the potential harmful impacts of synthetic materials. The Great American Cotton Plan expresses support for the Plant Not Plastic campaign from the National Cotton Council, as well as for the Buying American Cotton Act (BACA).
The NCC issued a release expressing support for the Cotton Plan shortly after it was announced, thanking President Donald Trump and Rollins for recent cotton and tax provisions.
“Measures like BACA, along with the USDA’s Great American Cotton Plan and other recently implemented cotton initiatives, demonstrate key progress for America’s cotton industry,” said NCC Chairman Nathan Reed. “At a time when cotton producers are facing pressure from high input costs and market uncertainty, these steps are critical to the long-term success of our industry.”
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