Fashion
ICE cotton ends higher on weak dollar, but weekly loss persists
ICE December cotton futures settled at 65.30 cents per pound, up 0.21 cent (0.3 per cent). The March contract, however, dropped 1.7 per cent (110 points), hitting its lowest level since May 30, 2025. March and May contracts closed higher by 14–21 points on the day but were 41–109 points lower on a weekly basis.
ICE cotton futures closed higher supported by a weaker US dollar, which made the fibre cheaper for overseas buyers.
However, prices still posted weekly losses amid uncertainty from the US government shutdown that has stalled USDA reports and pressured markets.
December settled at 65.30 cents/lb, up 0.21 cent, while March dropped 1.7 per cent to its lowest since May 2025.
Daily trading volume on October 3 was 40,408 contracts, compared to 42,492 in the previous session. The average daily volume for the week stood at 49,878 contracts, indicating slightly lower trading interest compared to the weekly average.
The US dollar index retreated, extending its multi-week decline against major currencies. A weaker dollar typically supports dollar-denominated commodities such as cotton by making them cheaper for holders of other currencies. Analysts noted that the weaker dollar makes cotton purchases more affordable.
The US government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, after the federal government ran out of funding. On October 3, the US Senate again failed to pass a temporary funding bill, rejecting both Democratic and Republican proposals. The shutdown has added uncertainty to financial and commodity markets. No USDA reports were released during the shutdown, delaying critical crop and export data. Analysts expect sideways market movement until the shutdown is resolved.
USDA’s weekly crop progress for the week ending September 28, 2025, showed 16 per cent of the US cotton crop harvested, up from 12 per cent the previous week. This compares to 19 per cent at the same time last year and a five-year average of 16 per cent. Crop condition was rated 47 per cent good-to-excellent, unchanged from the previous week but significantly higher than 31 per cent last year.
Short-term price volatility is expected to persist until government funding is restored and key agricultural data is released.
Currently, ICE cotton for December 2025 is trading at 65.30 cents per pound (up 0.21 cent), cash cotton at 62.80 cents (down 0.29 cent), the October 2025 contract at 62.86 cents (up 0.21 cent), the March 2026 contract at 67.19 cents (up 0.15 cent), the May 2026 contract at 68.50 cents (up 0.14 cent) and the July 2026 contract at 69.58 cents (up 0.15 cent).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)