Cotton
Cotton is the world's leading natural fiber, used in textile and apparel manufacturing. Quality is classified by staple length, micronaire, strength, and color grade. US Pima and Egyptian Giza extra-long-staple cottons are the premium grades. ICE Cotton No.2 (New York) is the benchmark contract.
Cotton at a Glance
What Moves Cotton Pricing
Cotton prices off ICE Cotton #2 futures (New York). The A Index (Cotlook A) is the global cash benchmark — average of cheapest five quotes. Drivers include US planted area (the USDA Acreage report), Indian and Pakistani crop conditions, Chinese reserve releases, and synthetic fiber substitution economics (the cotton-polyester ratio). Pakistan's recurring cotton crop crisis since 2022 has reshaped Asian flows.
How Cotton Cargoes Are Priced and Settled
Standard cargo is 200-600 bales (each ~218 kg) or container trade in 80-100 bale loads. Pricing is C-contract plus or minus quality differential plus regional basis. ICA and Bremen rules dominate dispute resolution.
Cotton Specifications and Dispute Practice
Specs cover staple length (1-1/8 inch standard, 1-1/4 inch for fine yarn), micronaire (3.5-4.9 premium range), strength, color grade, and trash content. HVI (High Volume Instrument) testing is universal at modern gins. Disputes turn on stickiness (insect honeydew), neps, and short-fiber content — issues that show up in spinning mills and trigger re-classification claims.
Where Cotton Comes From and Where It Goes
Top exporters: US, Brazil (recently overtook US in some years), India (subject to MSP and export rules), Australia, Greece, Türkiye. Top importers: China, Vietnam (textile manufacturing for global brands), Bangladesh, Pakistan, Türkiye, Indonesia. US-China tariff disputes have repeatedly disrupted the US-China cotton flow.
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