Cotton Futures Close Lower Amid Mixed Export Numbers

Negative Trends in Outside Markets Impact Cotton Prices

Cotton futures ended the Thursday trading session with contracts dropping between 10 to 32 points. The US dollar index rose by 401 points, while crude oil prices fell by $0.79 per barrel, negatively affecting the market.

Export Sales See Some Improvement, But Shipments Lag

In recent Export Sales data, upland cotton bookings increased to 194,895 running bales (RB) for the 2024/25 period, marking a three-week high. This figure represents a 27.39% rise from the previous week. Among notable sales, 42,400 RB were sold to Vietnam and 37,000 RB to Pakistan. For the 2025/26 period, sales totaled 6,864 RB. However, shipments declined to a five-week low of 128,573 RB, reflecting a 6.43% decrease from last week. Notably, 25,500 RB were shipped to Pakistan and 23,800 RB to Vietnam.

Market Statistics and Pricing Insights

The Seam reported 2,299 bales of online sales on December 18, with an average price of 63.46 cents per pound. Meanwhile, ICE cotton stocks remained stable at 20,113 bales of certified stocks as of Wednesday. The Cotlook A Index decreased by 40 points on December 18, settling at 78.85 cents per pound. Additionally, the USDA Adjusted World Price (AWP) fell by 113 points on Thursday, landing at 55.09 cents per pound.

Mar 25 Cotton closed at 67.91, down 17 points.

May 25 Cotton closed at 69.03, down 18 points.

Jul 25 Cotton closed at 69.98, down 25 points.

On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information, please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.

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