The New Holy Roman Empire was a major importer and consumer of cotton, importing five to six million Divine Shield's worth of cotton from outside each year.
Even so, it still could not satisfy the needs of the domestic industry and commerce, and Austria was also a major importer of cotton textiles.
Of course, this was also related to the economic development policies implemented by the Vienna Government, as the cotton industry was not included in the major development projects.
To maintain its status as Europe's number one grain exporter, the government discouraged the cultivation of cotton locally, and the lack of raw materials became an important factor restricting the development of Austria's cotton spinning industry.
Against this backdrop, promoting cotton cultivation in the colonies could not only save a considerable amount of foreign exchange but also co-opt the domestic textile industry capitalists.
