US cotton export sales weakened during the week ending July 30, as heavy cancellations for the current marketing season and slower new crop bookings pulled overall sales below the previous week’s levels. However, demand for the 2026-27 crop remained relatively resilient, indicating that international buyers continue to secure supplies despite softer short-term market activity.
According to the latest USDA Weekly Export Sales Report, the decline was largely driven by reductions in old crop commitments, while forward sales for the upcoming marketing year continued to provide support for market sentiment. Analysts noted that healthy advance purchases from major importing countries helped maintain confidence in US cotton prospects and lent underlying support to ICE cotton futures.
Old Crop Commitments Turn Negative
For the 2025-26 marketing year, net sales of Upland cotton recorded a net reduction of 55,900 running bales (RB), each weighing 226.8 kilograms. The result represented a sharp decline from the previous week’s net sales of 29,700 RB and marked the weakest performance of the current marketing season.
Although fresh buying activity was reported from China (4,100 RB), Pakistan (2,200 RB), Nicaragua (900 RB) and Mexico (100 RB), these purchases were outweighed by significant order cancellations. The largest reductions came from Türkiye (33,100 RB), followed by India (9,300 RB), South Korea (4,900 RB), Indonesia (4,200 RB) and Vietnam (4,000 RB).
Forward Buying Remains Strong
Despite the softer current-season performance, US cotton export sales for the 2026-27 marketing year remained encouraging. New crop bookings totalled 242,100 RB, representing a 31.3% decline from the exceptionally strong 352,400 RB reported a week earlier, but still reflecting solid international demand.
Vietnam emerged as the largest buyer with 132,400 RB, followed by Türkiye (41,600 RB), Honduras (20,500 RB), India (18,800 RB) and Pakistan (15,100 RB). The continued forward purchasing from these markets suggests confidence in future US cotton supplies.
Export Shipments Ease
Weekly shipments of Upland cotton reached 222,800 RB, down 5% from the previous week and 7% below the average recorded over the past four weeks.
Vietnam remained the leading export destination, receiving 88,900 RB, followed by Pakistan (35,500 RB), Türkiye (19,500 RB), India (18,000 RB) and Bangladesh (12,700 RB).
Mixed Performance for Pima Cotton
The Pima cotton segment also experienced weaker demand for the current season. Net sales for the 2025-26 marketing year recorded a reduction of 400 RB, mainly due to order cancellations from India.
However, demand improved for the next marketing season, with 2026-27 Pima cotton bookings rising to 8,300 RB. India accounted for the majority of purchases with 7,200 RB, followed by Thailand (700 RB), Indonesia (200 RB), Japan (100 RB) and Mexico (100 RB).
Pima cotton export shipments performed better than Upland cotton, increasing 11% week on week to 5,000 RB. India remained the largest destination with 3,800 RB, followed by China (700 RB), Thailand (200 RB), Pakistan (100 RB) and Indonesia (100 RB).
Market Outlook Remains Positive
The latest USDA figures indicate that while demand for the outgoing marketing year has moderated, overseas buyers continue to build inventories for the upcoming season. Consistent forward purchases by major importing countries—including Vietnam, Türkiye, India and Pakistan—highlight ongoing confidence in US cotton availability.
Although week-on-week sales weakened, the steady pace of advance buying for the 2026-27 crop suggests that international demand remains fundamentally strong, helping support market sentiment and providing a positive outlook for the US cotton sector in the months ahead.
