Current Industrial Reports
United States Department of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Administration
Bureau of the Census

Consumption on the Woolen System and Worsted Combing - 1997 Summary

MQ22D(97)-05
Issued May 19, 1998

Information on the scope of the survey, methodology, explanation of terms
and historical notes for this survey may be found in the introduction of
the 1995 Manufacturing Profiles, issued June 1997.

These data are also available through the U.S. Department of Commerce and
STAT-USA Electronic Bulletin Board by subscription.  To access, dial
202-482-3870 and follow the prompts to register; or call 202-482-1986 for
further information.

Address inquiries concerning these data to the U.S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing and Construction Division,
Washington, DC 20233, or call Kristin Williams, 301-457-4698.


Table 1.  Summary of Fibers Consumed in Woolen Spinning and Worsted Combing: 1992 to 1997
[Thousands of pounds]

        Product description            1997     1996     1995       1994       1993     1992

All fibers 1/.....................  904,777  912,195  953,372  1,035,750  1,008,135  926,035

  Raw wool 2/ 3/..................  143,962  141,836  141,966    153,302    156,811  150,838
    Apparel class.................  130,386  129,525  129,299    138,563    141,380  136,143
      Woolen system...............   70,341   69,716   57,300     61,998     67,519   59,478
      Worsted combing.............   60,045   59,809   71,999     76,565     73,861   76,665

    Carpet class..................   13,576   12,311   12,667     14,739     15,431   14,695

  Noils, reprocessed and reused
    wool, reused wool, and
    fiber 4/......................   20,371   22,557   19,808     18,641     22,728   20,745

  Other fibers 1/ 5/..............  740,444  747,802  791,598    863,807    828,596  754,452

   1/Includes manmade fiber top converted from tow without combing.
   2/Data are shown on a scoured basis for greasy wool.
   3/Shorn and pulled wool of sheep does not include raw wool consumed in cotton system
spinning.  These data were withheld to avoid data for individual companies.
   4/Includes mohair, alpaca, vicuna, and other specialty fibers, as well as tops and noils
consumed in woolen spinning and mohair consumed in worsted combing.  Does not include wool
tops consumed in cotton system spinning.
   5/Includes cotton, jute, and other vegetable fibers. Data for product code 22993 62, which
were included with "Other fibers" data in earlier publications, are now being included in the
data for "Noils, reprocessed and reused wool, and other animal fibers."

   Note: For 1993, a number of companies were added based on information in the 1992 Census
of Manufacturers. Data were received from these companies for 1993; therefore, the information
shown for years prior to 1993 may not be directly comparable. These changes represent approxi-
mately 4.7 percent of the total fibers consumed on the woolen system and worsted combing.


Table 2. Fibers Consumed in Woolen Spinning and Worsted
          Combing by Quarter: 1997 and 1996

                                               First   Second    Third   Fourth
        Product description           Total  quarter  quarter  quarter  quarter

                1997
All fibers 1/.....................  904,777  229,038  234,576  220,396  220,767

  Raw wool 2/ 3/..................  143,962   36,561   37,154   34,033   36,214
    Apparel class.................  130,386   33,124   33,830   30,638   32,794
      Woolen system...............   70,341   18,289   18,112   16,145   17,795
      Worsted combing.............   60,045   14,835   15,718   14,493   14,999
    Carpet class 4/...............   13,576    3,437    3,324    3,395    3,420

  Noils, reprocessed and
   reused wool, and
   other animal fibers 5/.........   20,371    5,444    5,423    5,012    4,492

  Other fibers 1/.................  740,444  187,033  191,999  181,351  180,061
    Nylon.........................  458,280  116,120  117,350  114,483  110,327
    Polyester.....................  117,184   28,597   30,379   27,744   30,464
    Acrylic and modacrylic........  143,063   36,631   38,053   34,231   34,148
    Other fibers 6/...............   21,917    5,685    6,217    4,893    5,122

                1996
All fibers 1/.....................  912,195  237,489  235,328  225,066  214,312

  Raw wool 2/ 3/..................  141,836   42,206   38,853   30,833   29,944
    Apparel class.................  129,525   39,059   36,193   27,440   26,833
      Woolen system...............   69,716   21,270   20,438   14,770   13,238
      Worsted combing.............   59,809   17,789   15,755   12,670   13,595
    Carpet class 4/...............   12,311    3,147    2,660    3,393    3,111

  Noils, reprocessed and
    reused wool, and
    other anumal fibers 5/........   22,557    5,635    7,128    5,661    4,133

  Other fibers 1/.................  747,802  189,648  189,347  188,572  180,235
    Nylon.........................  448,413  112,532  115,057  116,591  104,233
    Polyester.....................  118,193   34,759   27,241   26,898   29,295
    Acrylic and modacrylic........  158,813   36,950   41,456   39,488   40,919
    Other fibers 6/...............   22,383    5,407    5,593    5,595    5,788

   1/Includes top converted from manmade fiber tow without combing.
   2/Data are shown on a scoured basis for greasy wool.
   3/Shorn and pulled wool of the sheep does not include raw wool consumed in
cotton system spinning.
   4/Data for carpet and rug yarns, tops, noils, reprocessed wool, and other wool,
except shorn and pulled, are included with carpet class raw wool in order to
avoid disclosing figures for individual companies. These data represent less than
one-half of 1 percent of the total carpet class raw wool.
   5/Includes mohair, alpaca, vicuna, and other specialty fibers, as well as tops
and noils consumed in woolen spinning and mohair and other fibers, except wool of
sheep consumed in worsted combing. Does not include wool tops consumed in cotton
system spinning, which in 1997 amounted to 2,194 thousand pounds and in 1996
amounted to  2,649  thousand pounds.
   6\Includes cotton, jute, and other vegetable fibers. Data for product code
22993 62, which were included with "Other fibers" data in earlier publications,
are now being included in the data for "Noils, reprocessed and reused wool, and
other animal fibers."


Table 3. Fibers Consumed in Woolen Spinning by Quarter: 1997 and 1996
[Thousands of pounds]

Product
 code           Product description                       First   Second    Third   Fourth
                                                 Total  quarter  quarter  quarter  quarter

                       1997

         Fibers consumed in woolen
          spinning 1/........................  802,257  203,380  208,016  195,352  195,509

           For yarns (except carpet and rug).  289,026   75,370   77,510   67,591   68,555

             Shorn and pulled wool of
              sheep..........................   70,341   18,289   18,112   16,145   17,795
00214 61       60S and finer.................   49,038   12,027   12,228   11,647   13,136
00214 62       Coarser than 60S..............   21,303    6,262    5,884    4,498    4,659

             Other wool......................   17,061    4,415    4,690    4,015    3,941
02299 38       Sheep (tops, noils, etc.).....   12,198    3,078    3,496    2,907    2,717
00214 71       Other (mohair, alpaca,
                vicuna, etc.)................    4,863    1,337    1,194    1,108    1,224

02294 07     Reprocessed wool and reused
              wool...........................    2,248      609      629      639      371

             Other fibers....................  199,376   52,057   54,079   46,792   46,448
02824 14       Nylon.........................   35,156    9,692    9,140    8,338    7,986
02824 29       Polyester.....................   31,829    8,258    8,848    7,382    7,341
02824 25       Acrylic and modacrylic........  110,502       (D)      (D)  26,179   25,999
00100 17       All other fibers, including
                rayon and acetate............   21,889       (D)      (D)   4,893    5,122

           For carpet and rug yarns..........  513,231  128,010  130,506  127,761  126,954
00214 51     Shorn and pulled  wool of the
              sheep 2/.......................      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
             Tops, noils, mohair, reused
              and reprocessed wool, and
02299 36      other wool (except shorn or
              pulled) 2/.....................   13,576    3,437    3,324    3,395    3,420

             Other fibers....................  499,655  124,573  127,182  124,366  123,534
02824 13       Nylon.........................  423,124  106,428  108,210  106,145  102,341
02824 25       Polyester.....................      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
02824 24       Acrylic and modacrylic........      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
00100 14       All other fibers, including
                rayon and acetate............        -        -        -        -        -

                         1996

         Fibers consumed in woolen
          spinning 1/........................  808,773  208,575  209,994  201,637  188,567

           For yarns (except carpet and rug).  286,799   75,849   78,518   68,003   64,429

             Shorn and pulled wool of
              sheep..........................   69,716   21,270   20,438   14,770   13,238
00214 61       60S and finer.................   42,141   11,405   12,247    9,234    9,255
00214 62       Coarser than 60S..............   27,575    9,865    8,191    5,536    3,983

             Other wool......................   17,167    4,405    5,245    4,059    3,458
02299 38       Sheep (tops, noils, etc.).....   11,661    3,022    3,590    2,723    2,326
00214 71       Other (mohair, alpaca,
                vicuna, etc.)................    5,506    1,383    1,655    1,336    1,132

02294 07     Reprocessed wool and reused
              wool...........................    3,000      672    1,228      903      197

             Other fibers....................  196,916   49,502   51,607   48,271   47,536
02824 14       Nylon.........................   11,660    3,352    3,279    3,028    2,001
02824 29       Polyester.....................   36,254   11,705    8,154    8,477    7,918
02824 25       Acrylic and modacrylic........  126,867   29,100   34,643   31,233   31,891
00100 17       All other fibers, including
                rayon and acetate............   22,135    5,345    5,531    5,533    5,726

           For carpet and rug yarns..........  521,974  132,726  131,476  133,634  124,138
00214 51     Shorn and pulled  wool of the
              sheep 2/.......................      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
             Tops, noils, mohair, reused
              and reprocessed wool, and
02299 36      other wool (except shorn or
              pulled) 2/.....................   12,311    3,147    2,660    3,393    3,111

             Other fibers....................  509,663  129,579  128,816  130,241  121,027
02824 13       Nylon.........................  436,753  109,180  111,778  113,563  102,232
02824 25       Polyester.....................      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
02824 24       Acrylic and modacrylic........      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
00100 14       All other fibers, including
                rayon and acetate............      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)

   - Represents zero.  D Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual companies.

   1/Data are shown on a scoured basis for greasy wool.
   2/Product code 00214 51 and product code 02299 36 are combined to avoid disclosing
data for individual companies.


Table 4. Production of Tops and Noils Combed and Manmade Two Converted to Top without
          Combing by Quarter: 1997 and 1996
[Thousands of pounds]

Product
 code        Product description                 First   Second    Third   Fourth
                                        Total  quarter  quarter  quarter  quarter

                    1997

         Tops and noils combed........ 61,107   15,255   15,822   14,851   15,179

           Top production............. 56,313   14,090   14,521   13,687   14,015
             Wool of the sheep........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 21       60S and finer.......... 44,459   11,692   12,025    9,687   11,055
22993 24       Coarser than 60S.......    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 31     All other fibers,
              including mohair........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)

           Noil production............  4,794    1,165    1,301    1,164    1,164
             Wool of the sheep........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 51       60S and finer..........  3,694      954    1,055      825      860
22993 54       Coarser than 60S.......    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 62     All other fibers,
              including mohair........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)

         Manmade tow converted to
          top without combing......... 41,413   10,403   10,738   10,193   10,079
22993 75   Polyester..................    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 73   Acrylic fibers.............    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 76   Manmade fibers (except
            polyester or acrylic).....    (D)      (D)      (D)        -        -

                      1996

         Tops and noils combed........ 62,199   18,347   16,410   13,369   14,073

           Top production............. 57,368   16,975   15,104   12,273   13,016
             Wool of the sheep........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 21       60S and finer.......... 42,523   13,540   11,714    8,129    9,140
22993 24       Coarser than 60S.......    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 31     All other fibers,
              including mohair........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)

           Noil production............  4,831    1,372    1,306    1,096    1,057
             Wool of the sheep........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 51       60S and finer..........  3,534    1,087    1,011      730      706
22993 54       Coarser than 60S.......    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 62     All other fibers,
              including mohair........    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)

         Manmade tow converted to
          top without combing......... 41,223   10,567    8,924   10,060   11,672
22993 75   Polyester..................    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 73   Acrylic fibers.............    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)
22993 76   Manmade fibers (except
            polyester or acrylic).....    (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)      (D)

    - Represents zero.     D Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual
companies.
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