EUR/US$: 1.1480
U.S. Cotton: Third Straight Weekly Loss as Bulls Retreat into the Weekend
Barchart: Cotton futures fell 79 to 103 points across the front months on Friday, capping a third straight weekly loss with December down 491 points on the week. Crude oil eased about 1.6% on the session while the dollar index slipped. Cumulative 2026/27 export commitments reached 4.5 million RB as of September 10 — 13% ahead of the 5-year average, though still behind the pace needed to hit the USDA's full-season forecast. The Cotlook A Index fell 25 points to 94.35 on September 17, ICE certified stocks held steady at 36,617 bales, and the Adjusted World Price eased to 68.92 cents/lb. Dec26 settled at 81.15 cents (-102 points), Oct26 at 77.38 cents, and Mar27 at 83.79 cents.
Source: Barchart
U.S. Cotton: Sixth Lower Close Drags December to a Seven-Week Low
Calcot (Cindy Walters): December cotton settled at 81.15 cents on Friday, its sixth consecutive lower close and lowest settlement in seven weeks, extending a three-week slide to 1,023 points. For the week Dec fell 491 points (-5.7%), a third straight lower weekly close, and it closed below its 100-day moving average for a second straight session — a level it had barely touched in seven months. Cotton was the week's biggest loser among major markets tracked, while the Dow slipped 1.7% and the dollar index gained 1.1%. China's ZCE cotton futures logged an eighth straight lower close, and China's State Reserve sold 7,956 of 8,256 tonnes offered at its 45th auction, pushing cumulative sales to roughly 1.58 million bales. Even so, open interest barely moved all week and remains near record highs, with the trade (producers, users, merchants) adding to long positions even as speculators mostly cut theirs. Lower prices have let mills fix prices and add to bookings, with non-US growths the most competitive; some US sellers are holding off sales until harvest gives a clearer read on quality. The Federal Reserve's quarter-point hike to 3.75%-4.00% on Wednesday, citing elevated inflation, continued to ripple through markets during the week.
Source: Calcot
Global: Bayer Marks 30 Years of Bollgard Cotton Technology
Cotton Grower: Bayer is marking 30 years since Bollgard, the industry's first commercial Bt insect-protection trait, launched in 1996 on about 1.8 million U.S. cotton acres (12% of the crop). The technology evolved through Bollgard II in 2005 (dual Bt proteins), Bollgard 3 in 2017 (three Bt proteins paired with XtendFlex herbicide tolerance), and Bollgard 3 ThryvOn in 2023, which added protection against thrips and tarnished plant bugs; Bollgard 4 HT4 with ThryvOn technology is slated for 2029. Bt traits reached roughly 85% of U.S. cotton acreage by 2018, cutting insecticide costs and strengthening the crop's long-term economics. "Bollgard, the first commercial Bt trait focused on insect protection, changed the history of cotton farming," said Bayer's Shea Murdock.
Source: Cotton Grower
Azerbaijan: Cotton Export Volumes Jump but Prices Soften
Azernews: Azerbaijan's cotton fiber exports rose 31.9% to 95,900 tonnes in January-July 2026, up from 72,700 tonnes a year earlier, with export revenue climbing 26.2% to $136.4 million. Average export prices, however, slipped to $1,422/tonne from $1,486/tonne, indicating the gains were volume- rather than price-driven. Cotton accounts for about 3% of Azerbaijan's non-oil exports, with the country planting over 100,000 hectares and harvesting more than 360,000 tonnes of raw cotton in 2025. The analysis argues Azerbaijan should shift focus from raw export volumes toward building out domestic textile manufacturing, cottonseed processing and logistics — sectors it says could substantially boost rural employment, particularly for women, beyond what raw cotton exports alone provide.
Source: Azernews
India: Cotton Textile Exports Jump 24% in August
Ministry of Textiles (PIB): India's textile exports rose 16.1% year-on-year to ₹29,776 crore in August 2026, from ₹25,656 crore a year earlier, with cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products the standout performer, up 24.1%. For the April-August period, cotton textile exports grew 18.0%, outpacing the sector's overall 10.3% growth to ₹1.43 lakh crore.
Source: PIB India
China: Cotton and Yarn Prices Extend Declines as Reserve Sales Continue
SunSirs: Orderly sales from China's state cotton reserve, combined with falling import-cotton prices, drove a rapid slide in both futures and spot cotton prices this week, while yarn mills largely drew down existing inventories rather than restocking. Raw-material stocks at domestic pure-cotton yarn mills stood at a 30.39-day supply as of September 17, down 0.52% from the prior period. The benchmark Zhengzhou cotton contract (CF2701) settled at 15,830 yuan/tonne on September 17, down 120 yuan, with open interest rising by 24,355 lots — a notably bearish signal; the cotton yarn contract (CY2706) settled at 22,070 yuan/tonne, down 205 yuan.
Source: SunSirs
Tanzania: Why Tanzania Cannot Afford to Lose Its Cotton Future
Daily News (Dr Hilderbrand Shayo): Tanzania's cotton sector has contracted sharply over the past several years — planted area fell from 437,000 hectares in 2020 to about 310,000 hectares in 2022/23, and production dropped from 331,500 tonnes to 218,400 tonnes over the same period, before recovering to 222,057 tonnes in 2025/26. The government is targeting 300,000 tonnes of seed cotton for 2026/27. Simiyu region alone accounts for over half of national cotton area, at roughly 160,500 hectares. The piece blames low yields, rising input costs, pests, erratic rainfall, declining soil fertility and delayed planting, compounded by inconsistent policy follow-through despite repeated revival plans since 2016 — even as manufactured textile exports ($106.1 million in FY2025/26) have overtaken raw cotton exports ($95.8 million), leaving local mills short of domestic supply. The author calls for a 20-year "Cotton Compact" bringing government, farmers and manufacturers together around better genetics, mechanization, modern ginning and water-efficiency reforms rather than simple acreage expansion.
Source: Daily News Tanzania
Syria: Hasakah Cotton Harvest Begins After Planted Area Beats Target by 63%
SANA: Cotton picking began September 16 in southern Hasakah province, where planted area reached 11,898 hectares — 63% above the region's 7,300-hectare target — with an expected yield of about 45,000 tonnes; harvesting in the province's northern, northwestern and eastern areas is due to start within about ten days. Nationally, this season's cotton area rose to 26,593 hectares from 25,810 hectares last season, with production projected at around 79,467 tonnes, up from 69,587 tonnes. Syria's Agriculture Ministry cited planting delays from a cool, dry spring, along with reduced irrigation water, higher production costs and damaged irrigation infrastructure, but noted that six newly bred local cotton varieties are aimed at improving yields, earlier maturity and stress tolerance.
Source: SANA
The article summaries were generated using ΑΙ.