Fashion
ICE cotton sees mixed trend as year-end activity thins
The most active March 2026 cotton futures settled at 64.35 cents per pound, down 0.14 cent. The contract had touched 64.81 cents on Friday, its highest level since December 3, 2025. Other contracts ended mixed, with gains of up to 7 points and losses of as much as 15 points.
ICE cotton futures ended mixed to lower amid lighter year-end trading, though prices stayed near multi-week highs supported by earlier short covering.
March 2026 settled lower despite indirect support from higher crude oil prices.
Chinese cotton futures slipped after eight gains.
Analysts said recent strength reflected short covering rather than fresh bullish fundamentals.
Crude oil prices rose by more than $1, increasing polyester costs and providing indirect support to cotton as a competing fibre. However, this was insufficient to lift ICE cotton prices.
Total trading volume reached 37,122 contracts, compared with 35,630 contracts cleared in the previous session. Market participation remained light as traders reduced activity ahead of the year-end.
Data from the CFTC showed that speculators increased net short positions by 1,822 contracts to 60,573 contracts in the week ending December 16. ICE data showed deliverable No.2 cotton inventories at 11,600 bales as of December 26, unchanged from the prior trading day.
China’s ZCE cotton futures posted their first lower close in eight sessions, ending a short-term winning streak. According to market analysts, the recent strength in cotton prices appears to have been driven mainly by short covering rather than any specific bullish fundamental trigger.
The broader soft commodities complex traded higher, with cocoa, raw sugar, and coffee recording modest gains. In the grain complex, Chicago wheat prices declined, weighed down by ample global supplies.
China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that the country’s 2025 cotton planting area stood at 44.687 million mu (up 5.0 per cent year on year), yield rose to 148.6 kg per mu (up 2.6 per cent), and production increased to 6.641 million tons (up 7.7 per cent).
This morning (Indian Standard Time), ICE cotton for March 2026 was trading at 64.50 cents per pound (up 0.15 cent), cash cotton at 62.10 cents (down 0.14 cent), the May 2026 contract at 65.81 cents (up 0.18 cent), the July 2026 contract at 67.03 cents (up 0.19 cent), the October 2026 contract at 67.47 cents (down 0.09 cent), and the December 2026 contract at 68.35 cents (up 0.15 cent). A few contracts remained at their previous closing levels, with no trading recorded so far today.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Speculation has emerged within trade circles that the government may consider granting additional time for duty-free cotton imports. However, there is currently no formal proposal under consideration, and policymakers appear reluctant to prolong the relief.
Indian government is unlikely to extend duty-free cotton imports beyond December 31, 2025, despite textile industry demands to remove the nearly 11 per cent duty.
Policymakers remain cautious as domestic cotton availability is adequate and CCI procurement may rise sharply.
Extending the window could depress prices, raise MSP-linked fiscal costs, hurt farmer incomes and trigger political resistance.
The government approved duty-free cotton imports in September 2025 following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs by the US, which disrupted trade flows and added pressure amid strained bilateral relations and protracted trade negotiations.
Sanjay K Jain, managing director of TT Limited and chairman of the ICC National Textiles Committee, told Fibre2Fashion, “The industry has been consistently demanding the removal of import duty so it can access raw material at globally competitive prices. However, I do not personally expect the government to extend duty-free cotton imports when the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is actively procuring cotton, and its purchases may reach 100 lakh bales of 170 kg. There will be no scarcity of domestic cotton in the coming months of the current season.”
An extension of duty-free imports would significantly depress domestic cotton prices, triggering higher procurement by the CCI at the minimum support price (MSP). This, in turn, would substantially increase the government’s financial burden.
Jain noted that greater reliance on imports could weaken price realisation for farmers, making the move politically sensitive. With cotton farmers already facing volatility, any policy perceived as favouring imports over domestic procurement is likely to face resistance.
Industry stakeholders argue that removing import duty is necessary to ensure raw material availability and price stability for spinners, particularly amid global supply disruptions. However, the government’s priority appears to remain farmer protection and limiting fiscal exposure through higher MSP procurement.
With farmer unrest remaining a key concern for the Modi government, analysts believe extending duty-free cotton imports could invite political backlash, making a policy extension beyond December increasingly unlikely.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Published
December 30, 2025
French luxury giant LVMH announced on Tuesday its 100% acquisition of French publishing house Les Editions Croque Futur, integrating three publications, Challenges, Sciences & Avenir, and La Recherche, into the UFIPAR investment company.
The acquisition, “reflects LVMH’s commitment to promoting high-quality information and scientific culture, as well as making it accessible to a wider audience,” the business announced in a press release on December 30. LVMH has acquired 100% of the business’ shares with its holding company UFIPAR and the move builds on UFIPAR’s previous investment in Les Editions Croque Futur alongside its founder, publishing mogul Claude Perdriel.
Following the acquisition, Les Editions Croque Futur will accelerate the development and distribution of its three publications, with a focus on digital formats. This is designed to help the business secure a long-term future in the ever evolving industry.
Claude Perdriel’s long-time advisor Maurice Szafran has been named as president of Les Editions Croque Futur as part of the LVMH transaction. Szafran will take on the role of publishing director for all three titles and will harness his expertise in the media industry to promote long-term growth in the business.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
The study covered six processes: knitting, weaving, wet processing, cutting, sewing and end-finishing . It explored whether technological convergence was taking place across firms and tasks.
The eight products covered included knit-lingerie, denim trouser, sweater, T-shirt, jacket, woven trouser, woven shirt and home textile.
Bangladesh saw a garment productivity boost in cutting and knitting due to automation and technological upgradation, while jacket production has seen high efficiency, a study revealed.
The garment industry maintained a compound annual productivity growth rate of 4.19 per cent in 10 years.
Cutting saw an annual productivity rise of 11.13 per cent, knitting 9.85 per cent and wet processing 6.11 per cent.
Automation-intensive areas drove the strongest performance, with cutting achieving an annual productivity increase of 11.13 per cent, knitting 9.85 per cent and wet processing 6.11 per cent, the study revealed.
In contrast, sewing, which remained the least automated and most labour-dependent component of the production chain, posted the lowest growth of 3.57 per cent.
Weaving and end finishing gained moderate growth of 4.43 per cent and 4.78 per cent respectively.
The garment industry maintained a compound annual productivity growth rate of 4.19 per cent during the last 10 years, domestic media outlets reported citing the study.
Jackets and knit lingerie emerged as the top-performing categories with 6.59 per cent and 6.43 per cent average annual productivity growth respectively, while traditional woven items like trousers and shirts showed significantly slower growth of 1.15 per cent and 3.0 per cent growth respectively.
Other products showing strong productivity growth included knit sweaters (6.05 per cent), home textiles (5.58 per cent), and T-shirts (4.39 per cent).
Technologies previously exclusive to large companies, including automated cutting, semi-automatic sewing heads, laser/ozone finishing, auto-dosing in dyeing, and digital QC tools, were becoming widespread in medium-scale factories, the study found.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
India unlikely to extend duty-free cotton imports beyond December 2025
Bank holiday on New Year: Will banks remain closed on December 31, 2025 & January 1, 2026? Check state-wise list – The Times of India
ICE cotton sees mixed trend as year-end activity thins
-
Sports4 days agoBrooks Koepka should face penalty if he rejoins PGA Tour, golf pundit says
-
Business4 days agoGovt registers 144olive startups | The Express Tribune
-
Politics1 week agoMoscow car blast kills Russian general hours after US talks
-
Politics1 week ago2025 marks decisive reset in Pakistan-US ties: Washington Times
-
Politics4 days agoThailand, Cambodia agree to ‘immediate’ ceasefire: joint statement
-
Business1 week agoNeptune Logitek Shares List At 26% Discount, IPO Investors Suffer Nearly Rs 30,000 Losses
-
Entertainment1 week agoTimothée Chalamet in question for ‘Marty Supreme’ press tour attitude
-
Fashion1 week agoNew Balance Americas SVP Melissa Worth departs