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Pima cotton is one of the best grades of cotton in the world, ranked right behind Egyptian and Supima cotton. It has long, luxurious fibers used in high-end towels, sheets and etc. Grown only in the southwest United States by the Pima Indians.

American pima cotton is classified using HVI measurements, just like American upland cotton. Its color grade is determined by highly-trained cotton classers. American pima cotton uses roller gin as its ginning process that results in a smooth appearance but not as smooth as that obtained with the saw ginning process. The roller gin process forces the seed out of the lint with the lint looking more like wool than cotton which is due partly to the creamy color of the lint.

American pima color and leaf has six grades respectively. They are represented by physical standards, with a separate standard for cotton that is below grade for color and leaf. The difficulty and somewhat higher cost of production and the relative scarcity of the crop resulted in considerably higher fiber prices for Pima cotton.

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