1914-1938
World War I was a turning point for the Lancashire Cotton Industry and the Liverpool Cotton Market. The demand for cotton in India and China was now being met by the mills of Japan and India. Lancashire could not compete with their cheaper labour and products. Its Far East market collapsed and cotton imports to Liverpool halved. Further problems came with the decimation of the American crop of 1921 by the ravages of the Boll Weevil. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 brought with it the Great Depression and the effect on the Liverpool Cotton Market was severe: in 1931 Liverpool’s cotton imports were at their lowest for 62 years.
23 February 1916
The idea of a War Relief Fund is raised
At the Liverpool Cotton Association Board meeting of that date, it was reported in the minutes “That the President said…
1921
The Lancashire cotton trade slumps and the boll weevil causes havoc in the USA
The immediate end of World War I had led to a post-war boom, despite rising prices. Markets in the east…
