• During the month of May 2025, the NY July ICE cotton contract exhibited a generally bearish trend. The month began on a strong note with a brief rally in the early days. However, this upward momentum quickly faded as the market came under consistent downward pressure. Mid-month was marked by heightened volatility, with prices dipping to their lowest levels before staging a modest recovery.
Market Movement from 26th May 2025 to 31st May 2025.
• There was news of a trade deal falling through between China and the U.S., which added pressure to the market. The NY July future closed the week with a loss of 105 points.
• The export shipments were decent, so the USDA may have to raise its target in the June WASDE report.
Markets were busy despite the holiday-shortened trade week, with cotton slipping to the low end of its range amid renewed trade tensions and mixed economic data. With uncertainty still looming in every headline, where do prices go from here? Get QuickTake’s read on the week’s events in five minutes.
Government of India has increased the Minimum Support Price of Medium Staple Cotton from 7,121 to 7,710 and Long Staple Cotton from 7,521 to 8,110 for season 2025-26.
Market Movement from 19th May 2025 to 24th May 2025.
• New York futures remained steady to firm despite the absence of any fresh news to guide the market. Historically, the 65-cent level has acted as a support area, below which additional selling pressure tends to ease. As a result, the July contract closed the week with a gain of 122 points, week-over-week.
Market Movement from 12th May 2025 to 17th May 2025.
• The bearish WASDE report continued to pressure prices downward, leading to another week of triple-digit losses for NY July. The contract closed the week with a loss of 172 points, week-over-week.
If cotton prices are to improve, it’s got to start sometime, somehow. If improvement is to be in our future, the underlying economic fundamentals must begin to swing in that direction and market uncertainties diminish.
The forecast for 2025/26 U.S. cotton shows a small increase in production, higher exports,beginning and ending stocks, and unchanged consumption compared to 2024/25. Planted area is expected to be 9.87 million acres based on the March 31 Prospective Plantings report. With recent precipitation in the Southwest, abandonment is projected to be lower than average resulting in a U.S. harvested area of 8.37 million acres, higher than the 7.81 million harvested in 2024/25.
Market Movement from 05th May 2025 to 10th May 2025.
• NY July started the week with a strong gain but was unable to sustain the momentum. External market pressures and macroeconomic factors dragged the market down. As a result, NY July ended the week with a loss of 180 points on a week-over-week basis.
Market Movement from 28th Apr 2025 to 03rd May 2025.
• This week, Texas experienced much-needed rainfall. Meanwhile, ongoing tariff tensions kept the market in the red for four consecutive days. However, signs of positive dialogue between China and the U.S., along with news of a potential trade deal with India, lifted market sentiment. As a result, the market rebounded on the final day of the week, significantly cutting earlier losses. The Ny July closed with a modest week-over-week loss of just 39 points.
• At the beginning of the month, the market reacted sharply to the announcement of US tariff hike, dropping significantly and hitting a contract low of 60.80 cents per lbs. However, it quickly recovered the same day.
Market Movement from 21st Apr 2025 to 26th Apr 2025.
• With May contracts nearing expiry, July has now become the lead month. During the week, NY futures showed some momentum. The decline in open interest suggests that traders are squaring up their positions. The July contract closed the week with a gain of 1.67 points week-on-week. Similarly, the December contract also followed suit, ending the week with a gain of 1.53 points week-on-week.
Market Movement from 14th Apr 2025 to 19th Apr 2025.
• Due to the shortened week caused by Good Friday, New York May managed to remain slightly above last week, closing in the green. It ended the week with a gain of 43 points week-over-week.
Market Movement from 07th Apr 2025 to 12th Apr 2025.
• After the shock from last week's tariff news, the market recovered as the tariff pause was announced for all countries except China. The NY May futures closed with a week-on-week gain of 253 points.
In this month’s 2024/25 U.S. cotton balance sheet, the only changes are a 100,000-bale reduction in exports to 10.9 million bales and an increase in ending stocks of the same amount to 5.0 million bales. The projected 2024/25 season average upland farm price is unchanged at 63 cents per pound.
Gujcot Second Quarterly Rate Movement Report - 2024-25
• NY remained stuck in a narrow range throughout the January–March quarter. As the NY March contract approached expiry, it experienced some downward movement but largely stayed within the 65–68 range. Meanwhile, the NY May contract remained confined to a narrow range of 65–69.
GUJCOT MONTHLY RATE MOVEMENT REPORT– FEBRUARY-2025
• The month of February remained confined within a narrow range. For March, the range is expected to be between 65 to 67.5, while for May, it is projected to be between 66 to 68.50.
• The NY Futures showed little movement throughout the month, with the March contract trading within a narrow range of 68.68 to 65.88 cents per lbs. On the last day of the month, it broke the psychological support level of 66 cents, closing just below it at 65.88. NY May Future also followed March and made a distance of carry by nearly one cent.
Gujcot First Quarterly Rate Movement Report - 2024-25
• During the first quarter from October to December of current cotton season, New York December futures contract expired in mid-November. There was significant downward pressure on the December futures, pushing the price down to 66.72 cents. Throughout the quarter, the December futures traded within a narrow range of 67 to 73.50 cents.
GUJCOT MONTHLY RATE MOVEMENT REPORT– NOVEMBER-2024
• NY December future experienced high open interest and significant call purchases, followed by lower call sales, resulting in heightened volatility throughout the month. The price had been stuck in a range of 68 to 72 cents per pound for a long time but suddenly December future dropped below 67 cents as the options expiry approached.
• In October, NY December future gradually declined from 74 cents to 70 cents. Although there were attempts to rebound due to some positive news, these gains were not sustained.
President's Message - Seven Years of Gujcot Trade Association
Dear Members and Friends,
I am delighted to share this message as we celebrate Seven years of the Gujcot Trade Association. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team, and it fills me with immense pride to see how far we've come.
• The December New York cotton futures contract traded within a narrow range throughout the month, fluctuating between 67 and 71 cents. Although the USDA's WASDE report was somewhat bullish due to a 1.9 million bale reduction in U.S. production, sluggish demand and unfavorable macroeconomic conditions limited upward momentum. Ultimately, the December contract closed with a 100-point month-over-month gain.
• July began with ICE December cotton future trading in the low seventy-cent range. However, over the past two weeks, prices declined and broke the psychological support level of 68 cents. Despite this, the month's trading range remained between 68 and 74 cents. Factors contributing to this decline include lower-than-expected exports, a higher crop yield, and increased ending stocks in the U.S. Additionally, significant short positions held by speculators have driven the market downward.
Gujcot Third Quarterly Rate Movement Report - 2023-24
• The April-June quarter was marked by significant volatility and a major downturn in the cotton market.
• NY Futures for May and July started near 93 cents, with April experiencing a continuous downtrend. In May, the front month was July, and prices remained in a narrow range of 77 to 85 cents. However, in June, the market crashed again, reaching the low 70s. By the end of June, December, as the front month, closed at 72.69 cents.
In India, a significant portion of the population relies on agriculture and agriculture-based businesses. Given the critical role that farmers play in the Indian economy and the food security of the nation, it is indeed the duty of the government to protect and support them. One of the key measures taken by the Government of India to protect farmers is the provision of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for certain crops, especially Kharif crops.
Government of India has increased the Minimum Support Price of Medium Staple Cotton from 6,620 to 7,121 and Long Staple Cotton from 7,020 to 7,521 for season 2024-25.
• At the start of the month, NY Futures traded within a narrow range. Mid-month, there was an upward movement from the 75 cents to 80 cents range. However, the middle of the month saw more bearish activity. In the last week, the price briefly crossed 82 cents but failed to sustain this level and subsequently fell back below the 80-cent range.
• During the past month, New York witnessed a surge of unsettling events, marked by a disturbing level of violence. Despite positive export figures and a neutral WASDE report, the market remained indifferent. The escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel, coupled with the certification of stock, exerted immense pressure on market dynamics.
Gujcot Second Quarterly Rate Movement Report - 2023-24
• During the last quarter, in February, the New York May Futures experienced a notable upward surge, surpassing the dollar mark and closing above it. However, in March, there was a continuous downward correction trend observed in the NY May Futures until the end of the month. By the end of March, NY May closed in the range of 90 to 91.38 cents.
All cotton planted area for 2024 is estimated at 10.7 million acres, up 4 percent from last year. Upland area is estimated at 10.5 million acres, up 4 percent from 2023. American Pima area is estimated at 203,000 acres, up 38 percent from 2023.
• In the month of February, NY Future experienced a roller coaster ride, fueled by financial support and strategic acquisitions. Breaking through all psychological resistance barriers in the first week, it surged past the 90-point mark for the first time. By the end of first week, there were indications that NY Future might surpass the dollar threshold, reaching a high of 103.80 and closing near 99.57. Overall, NY May futures demonstrated a substantial gain of 13.16 points month-over-month.
• This month, the bulls in the New York Futures market were delighted by the favorable cotton balancesheet of the United States as presented in the WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates). The market also received strong support from robust export sales, contributing to a positive sentiment among traders.
• Speculative interest in cotton saw a return, leading to a steady increase in open interest throughout the month.
Gujcot First Quarterly Rate Movement Report - 2023-24
• In the month of October, both NY December and March futures commenced trading near 88 cents, experiencing a gradual decline. The market remained relatively stable during December, with NY March operating within a narrow range of 79 to 82 cents. The downward trend during this period was primarily attributed to factors such as the Gaza war and the Federal Reserve's decisions to decrease interest rates.
Cotton prices for the week traded in a high-to-low range of only 190 points. Every attempt to move beyond eighty-two cents was quickly stifled by grower selling while downside support held firm at 80 cents before giving way slightly on Friday closing at 79.83. This was disheartening when at the same time the Dow, S&P 500, and NASDAQ were hitting all-time highs.
• November was typically dominated by bears, characterized by sluggish trading throughout the month. In New York, December exhibited a wide trading range of 74.89 to 80.39 cents per lb, whereas March, the current lead month, remained stuck in a narrow range of 77.70 to 82.34 cents per lb. Month-over-month, December experienced a loss of 182 points, while March concluded with a 345 points loss.
• In October, the New York Futures for December consistently fluctuate within a price range of 82 to 88 cents. On the other hand, March futures consistently exhibit a carrying cost with a price range of 84.5 to 88.5 cents.
"Navigating Challenges: A Recap of the 2022-23 Indian Cotton Market Season"
The Indian cotton market in the 2022-23 season witnessed a series of unique challenges and fluctuations, impacting both cotton mills and farmers. Here we provide an overview of the season, highlighting key events and factors that influenced cotton prices and market dynamics.
Gujcot Fourth Quarterly Rate Movement Report – 2022-23
We are here providing you comprehensive overview of the various factors affecting cotton prices and production during July-September period. Here's a summary of the key points:
1. Cotton Price NY Future Trends: The price of cotton in the NY futures market during July was in the range of 79-84 cents but moved higher to 84-88 cents in the following two months. There were attempts to break the resistance at 88 cents, but failed to sustain due to weaker demand and macroeconomic challenges.
Dec cotton futures gave up 53 points on the week (the very same 53 points it gained last week) finishing at 85.91, with the Dec – Mar spread strengthening a bit to (84). Last week, our models predicted a finish on the week that was to be near-unchanged to higher Vs the previous week’s finish, which proved to be correct. Dec has commenced the new week notably higher.
• During the August, the NY December Futures attempted multiple times to break out above the 88 cents level, but each attempt proved unsuccessful. The NY futures remained confined within a narrow range of 83 to 88 cents.
• The WASDE report delivered a bullish outlook as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered the U.S. crop by 2.5 million bales. This bullish sentiment from the WASDE report initially pushed the NY futures toward the upper boundary of the established range.
• NY July Future expired on 8th July, and now the front month is December. NY December new crop future stayed within a narrow range for the first 18 days but then started to trend upwards after the 18th July. Some short covering and speculative buying pulled the market to a new high of 87.90, but it eventually settled near the mid-eighties.
Gujcot Third Quarterly Rate Movement Report – 2022-23
• During the third quarter of the cotton season (April to June) NY July future remained within a range of 77 to 87 cents, while December future remained within a narrow range of 77 to 84.
• The NY Future market attempted to break out of these ranges multiple times but was unable to sustain those breakouts. This suggests that there may have been various attempts to push the market beyond these established price levels, but the momentum was not strong enough to sustain the price movement outside of the given ranges.
The cotton market was somewhat higher Monday, inspired by adverse weather unfolding across the Belt, as well as continued supporters from Friday's acres report.
The cotton market was somewhat higher Monday, inspired by adverse weather unfolding across the Belt, as well as continued supporters from Friday's acres report.
• During the month of May, NY July cotton future have not been able to break out of the long-term range of 79-86. The latest WASDE report was somewhat favorable for the market, with an increase in U.S. exports and a decrease in ending stocks. Export sales have been decent, leading the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to raise the US export estimate from 12.2 to 12.6 million bales.
Cotton’s Slow Period Continues... But Planting Decisions Are Coming Soon
With the current season coming to a close it is time to start shifting our focus to the next season with high hopes and anticipation. Most of the Northern Hemisphere cotton producing countries have started planting, are preparing for planting, or are thinking about planting. Soil moisture is an essential ingredient for a successful planting operation.
Cotlook’s May supply and demand forecasts indicate lower consumption and higher world ending stocks for both 2022/23 and 2023/24
Cotlook’s forecast of global raw cotton output in 2022/23 has been reduced this month, by 69,000 tonnes to 24,852,000 tonnes. Reductions for the African Franc Zone and the United States were partially offset by increases for China and Australia.
• The first half of the month saw a narrow range of 80 to 85 cents for NY futures, but the second half was bearish with a range of 76.5 to 81 cents. USDA released the WASDE report, which was nearly neutral and did not cause any significant volatility.
Gujcot Second Quarterly Rate Movement Report – 2022-23
• Team Gujcot wishing happy and earning new financial year to all cotton friends.
• January-March quarter was volatile in all futures. Huge ups and downs were noticed during this period. Despite huge ups and downs range is very narrow. NY March was in 80.25 to 87.00 range while NY May moved in slightly bigger range of 76.54 to 88.02.
Indian Farmers Might Be Holding Their Cotton but Global Production Remains Stable
In this edition of Cotton This Month, we will examine the current situation with delayed cotton arrivals in India and how this may affect the global balance sheets in the 2022/23 season.
All cotton planted area for 2023 is estimated at 11.3 million acres, down 18 percent from last year. Upland area is estimated at 11.1 million acres, down 18 percent from 2022. American Pima area is estimated at 154,000 acres, down 16 percent from 2022.
Cotton set for best week in over 2 – months on strong export sales data
ICE cotton futures rose 3% on Friday and were headed for their best week in more than two months, supported by strong U.S. export numbers and on hopes of an uptick in demand from top consumer China.
Gujcot FIrst Quarterly Rate Movement Report – 2022-23
• Team Gujcot wishes happy, healthy and earning new year 2023 to all our friends.
• Year 2022 taught us many lessons. We witnessed extremely high rates. NY cotton future near 158 cents per lb. and Indian physical cotton rate crossed Rs one lakh per candy. Some sweet and some bitter memories of year 2022. first quarter of the Indian new cotton season and second quarter of US new cotton season was dominated by bears.
• November month started with sharp uptrend during the first week. NY Future closed limit up for the first four days in this month and jumped to 87 cents from 72 cents in just one week. There after remained highly volatility during the month.
The lack of demand is clearly a problem at the moment and as such the WASDE doesn’t reflect the right set of numbers in its balance sheet. While the supply side is now more or less known, the demand side is overstated by several million bales and will have to be adjusted lower over the coming months, which will have a bearish impact.
• October was month of continuous down trend. NY December future lost about 1300 points during the month. USDA WASDE was bearish. USDA reduced world consumption by 3 million bales so world ending stock was also up by 3 million bales. Recession fear in Europe and America has created downward sentiment.
• US Export sales was poor also some cancellation from China reason for downtrend. But US is well committed to reach USDA export target.
Cotton season 2021/22 was a very challenging one. Cotton market opened at its historically high level and climbed up to create a new historical high of Rs.100,000 plus per candy. Hence it proved that is very difficult for even experts to predict top and bottom of the cotton market. Market finds its own level.
Gujcot FIrst Quarterly Rate Movement Report – 2021-22
• Up trend in cotton prices during first quarter of new season has continued with cotton prices touching life time new high in Indian cotton. While in U.S. It is the second highest rate after 2011.
• Indian Mills earned well during first quarter with old crop CCI stock till October and new arrivals.
Uncertainty and panic over the OMICRON variant caused the cotton market, along with many other commodities, to drop significantly in price over the past 2 weeks.
Production, Consumption and Trade are Expected to Increase in 2021/22
For the current season, the global production estimate for 2020/21 has been reduced to 24.3 million tonnes this month with smaller crop estimates expected for India, Brazil, and the United States. For India, the latest meeting of the Committee on Cotton Production and Consumption (COCPC) reported production for 2020/21 at 6.12 million tonnes. With the country under crisis from a second wave of COVID-19, mill-use has been revised down to 5.15 million tonnes.
Procurement operations of seed cotton (Kapas) under MSP are going on smoothly in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. Till 23.03.2021 a quantity of 91,86,803 cotton bales valuing Rs.26,719.51 Crore has been procured benefitting 18,86,498 farmers.
All international benchmark prices increased over the past month.
The NY December futures contract climbed from 67 to as high as 72 cents/lb near the end of October. More recently, prices eased back to 70 cents/lb. Cotlook’s A Index rose from 73 to 76 cents/lb over the past month.
Changes in Supply and Demand Estimates (from 17 August 2020)
Limited Cotton Recovery within Pandemic: Production and Stock Levels High, Slow Consumption Growth
Even as the most stringent containment measures begin to be lifted, the opportunity for economic recovery may not relieve current market uncertainty. Countries vary in their ability to flatten the contagion curve and the fiscal space to mitigate the pandemic associated recession.
Movement in benchmark prices was mixed over the past month.
The NY December futures contract moved lower (to below 60 cents/lb in late July) and then higher (near 65 cents/lb in early August) over the past month. Current values (63 cents/lb) are nearly even with those from one month ago.
A cyclonic circulation is over East Uttar Pradesh and adjoining area. Another cyclonic circulation is over Central Pakistan. A trough is extending from central Pakistan to Bangladesh across Rajasthan, South Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal in lower levels. A cyclonic circulation is over central parts of Assam. A cyclonic circulation is over south Konkan. A shear zone is extending from this cyclonic circulation to Chhattisgarh across North Interior Karnataka and Telangana.
U.S. producers will plant 13 million acres in 2020
U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 13 million cotton acres this spring, down 5.5% from 2019 (based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s February 2020 estimate), according to the National Cotton Council’s 39th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey.
Cotton Inc. Executive Cotton Update - February 2020
Executive Cotton Update - February 2020
Macroeconomic Overview: The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the U.S. economy grew 2.3% in 2019. Forecasts suggest that growth could slow a little in 2020, with many projections falling between 1.9% and 2.1%. For comparison, in 2018, growth was 2.9% and in 2017 growth was 2.4%.
Highlights from the Inaugural Session of the 78th Plenary Meeting:
Consumers today are increasingly demanding information on the origin and history of the products they buy, putting pressure on retailers to provide transparency
Multiple technologies have the potential to provide that traceability, including blockchain and a host of products from private companies
Gujarat cotton crop is estimated as 1,06,94,302 Bales out of which 2,75,000 Bales will be of V-797 rest will be Shankar-6. Gujarat cotton crop yield is expected to rise by 32.97% and crop is expected to increase by 30.83%
we estimate total Gujarat cotton pressing to be 120-125 Lakh Bales of 170 Kg.
The Season 2018 -2019 started with bullish sentiment in India. Indian cotton crop was predicted 343 lakh bales at the start of the season against 365 to 375 lakh bales of season 2017-2018. Opening stock was low and mills requirement of new cotton was high. With bull sentiment season touched double top at 47,150 on 15th October at the start of the season.
The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates indicate that total U.S. cotton textile and apparel trade rose during the first half of 2019, compared with the corresponding 2018 period. U.S. cotton product imports totaled the equivalent of 9.0 million 480-pound bales of raw cotton during January-June 2019—compared with 8.8 million bales for the first 6 months of 2018—while cotton product exports declined slightly to 1.7 million bale-equivalents.
Cotton Textile exports reached a level of USD 739.17 million in June 2019 marking a decline of (-) 30.4 per cent against the corresponding month of June 2018, wherein exports were valued at USD 1,061.96 million.
In rupee terms, exports during the month of June 2019 reached a level of Rs. 5,132.72 cr. as against Rs. 7,199.39 Cr. in June 2018 marking a decline of (-) 28.7 per cent in rupee terms.
China cotton imports in 2019/20 are expected to surpass the previous year’s robust level, reinforcing its position as the world’s largest importer. The current 2018/19 estimate, boosted this month, is expected to be the largest in 5 years as China supplements domestic supplies amid ongoing auctions of State Reserve stocks. Despite this strong upward trend in imports, U.S. exports to China have weakened as Brazil, Australia, and other countries have expanded both exports and market share.
While corn remains the major safrinha crop for Brazilian farmers, more cotton acreage is being planted in Mato Grosso this spring, as well.
Over the past two years, cotton planting has increased by nearly one-third for the safrinha in Mato Grosso. The Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers(Abrapa) forecast cotton acreage to grow to 1.4 million hectares (3.46 million acres). Mato Grosso accounts for about 88% of Brazil’s cotton production.
Historical Revisions to Indian's Cotton Balance Sheet - USDA
Historical Revisions to Indian's Cotton Balance Sheet - USDA
Historical revisions have been made to India’s balance sheet for the years 2002/03 through 2013/14, with the stock adjustment carried forward. The revisions are based on the conclusion that market yard arrivals data underreported arrivals in the early portion of the harvest season. This conclusion was based on observed market activity in November for several years.
