MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. The share of cotton fabrics in apparel in Russia has currently dropped to 25-26% in line with the global trend, while synthetics account for nearly 60%, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said during a session at the 4th BRICS+ Fashion Summit.

A decline in the consumption of natural fabrics is being observed in both the Russian and international markets, Alikhanov noted. "If 30 years ago we said that cotton made up about half of the market volume and synthetics accounted for around 40%, today cotton stands at 25-26%, and synthetics make up nearly 60%. Our country is moving here in accordance with this [global] trend," he stated.

Russia is currently developing a number of projects to produce new synthetic fibers, which will help meet domestic demand for such materials, and these are being created in cooperation with petrochemical companies, Alikhanov added.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Russia imports raw cotton from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, while manufacturing the fabrics domestically, ranking seventh globally in this segment.