Wool is the tailor's material of choice. According to the WTO, it ranks 615th among raw materials, and its trade accounts for 0.017% of world trade, ahead of cashmere (0.0031%), but far behind cotton (0.089%). The merino breed is almost the only one that gives wool for clothing. The old breeds give a wool that is too rough just good for making carpets, except the Scots who manage to make tweed from the Scottish blackface and cheviot.
The largest merino herds are found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay. Calm and idyllic weather conditions are needed for the sheep to produce surfine fibres. The importers who turn it into yarns are, in order, China, India and... Italy. Obviously. The United Kingdom is in fifth place behind the Czech Republic. Don't look for France, we have disappeared from the radar.
After a flight...
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