International Cotton Market Update

29-Mar-2025 08:15 AM

International Cotton Market Update
ICE cotton futures closed 18 to 24 points lower on Friday, while the nearby May contract ended the week with a 163-point gain. Crude oil futures fell by 88 cents per barrel, and the U.S. dollar index dropped by $0.292 during the day.
According to the CFTC’s Commitment of Traders (COT) report, managed money added 4,193 contracts to their net short positions, increasing the total net short to 73,810 contracts as of March 25.
As per USDA Export Sales data, total upland cotton commitments reached 10.309 million RB, which is 5% lower than last year. This has now fulfilled 100% of the USDA’s 2024/25 export projection, slightly below the 101% average pace.
A Bloomberg survey projects 9.9 million acres of cotton in the upcoming Prospective Plantings report on Monday, with estimates ranging between 8.8 and 10.5 million acres.
On March 27, The Seam platform recorded 9,181 bales sold online at an average price of 60.15 cents per pound. The Cotlook A Index increased 50 points on Wednesday, reaching 77.90 cents per pound.
ICE certified cotton stocks remained unchanged at 14,488 bales as of March 27. The USDA’s Adjusted World Price (AWP) dropped 97 points on Thursday, settling at 53.66 cents per pound.