Wool
Fleece shorn from sheep: a premium natural fibre whose world output has halved since 1990 as synthetics took market share.
Fibres & forest · No. 106
- Not on a critical list
- HHI 916 · unconcentrated
The world shears only half the wool it did in 1990, and nearly three-quarters of traded raw fleece goes to Chinese mills.
Chart: Illustration: Wool
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Wool is grown, not mined: sheep are shorn about once a year. Fine Merino comes from dry pastures in Australia and South Africa. The world clip was 1.70 Mt in 2024.
Three things to know
- World greasy wool output roughly halved, from 3.35 Mt in 1990 to 1.70 Mt in 2024, as synthetics took market share.
- Australia supplied 65.9% of greasy wool export value in 2024, and China took 73.4% of imports.
- Australia's reserve price scheme collapsed in 1991 with a huge stockpile that took years to sell.
The journey
- 1 FlockMerino and crossbred sheep on pasture
- 2 ShearingFleece shorn, usually once a year
- 3 AuctionClassed, baled and sold at auction
- 4 ScouringWashed clean, lanolin recovered
- 5 CombingCarded and combed into tops
- 6 SpinningSpun, woven and knitted