Pima & Supima Cotton

American ELS — 1-3/8 inch and above, 40+ g/tex

Pima is not a better grade of Upland; it is a different species. Gossypium barbadense produces a fibre of 1-3/8 to 1-1/2 inch staple against Upland's 1-1/16 to 1-1/8, with strength typically above 40 grams per tex against Upland's 28 to 31, and a finer micronaire in the 3.7 to 4.5 range. Those numbers translate directly into what a mill can make: longer, stronger, finer fibre spins to higher counts with fewer protruding ends, which is why Pima yarn produces fabric that is smoother, more lustrous, resists pilling and survives more wash cycles. It is grown mainly in California, Arizona and Texas, HVI classed by the USDA like all American cotton, and the great majority is sold under Supima — a licensed trademark held by the growers' association that certifies American Pima specifically, with a chain of custody through spinner and manufacturer.

Buy Pima where the finished product is sold on hand-feel and durability and can carry the cost: fine-count ring spinning above Ne 60, premium bedding and sheeting where thread count and smoothness are the proposition, luxury shirting and knitwear, and any brand licensing the Supima mark for its marketing value. It costs roughly two to three times Upland and that gap is real, so it is the wrong purchase for volume apparel, denim, open-end spinning or anything where the fibre advantage will be invisible in the finished garment. The commercial caution is naming. Egyptian Giza is also ELS and competes directly; Supima specifically means American Pima with a verified chain of custody, and cotton described loosely as “Pima” without that licensing may be neither American nor barbadense. CBIL brokers American Pima against USDA HVI classing, staple, micronaire, strength and Supima licensing status, on FOB US West Coast and Gulf, CFR and CIF terms.