Cotton Retreats on Thursday

Cotton Market Sees Decline

Cotton futures experienced a downturn on Thursday, with nearby contracts falling between 70 and 85 points. Meanwhile, crude oil prices edged up slightly by 4 cents per barrel, closing at $65.46. The US dollar index also saw a modest increase, rising by 0.100 to reach 97.725.

Weekly Export Sales Overview

According to the latest export sales report, 253,229 running bales of cotton were sold during the week ending February 19. This figure represents a 45.69% decrease from the previous week and is 18.95% lower than sales during the same week last year. Bangladesh led purchases with 70,700 running bales, followed by India with 59,700. Shipments for the week totaled 193,005 running bales, marking an 11.81% increase from the prior week. Vietnam was the primary destination, receiving 74,200 running bales, while Pakistan imported 21,300.

Additional Market Highlights

The Seam reported sales of 10,891 bales on February 25, with an average price of 60.73 cents per pound. The Cotlook A Index climbed 30 points on Tuesday, reaching 75.85 cents. As of February 24, ICE certified cotton stocks remained unchanged at 119,457 bales. The Adjusted World Price increased by 1.79 cents, now standing at 51.84 cents per pound.

Recent Cotton Futures Settlements

• March 2026 Cotton settled at 63.36, down 81 points
• May 2026 Cotton ended at 65.36, a decrease of 81 points
• July 2026 Cotton closed at 67.07, down 73 points