Fashion
US Upland cotton sales rebound after steep decline: USDA
Net sales of Upland cotton for the 2025–26 marketing year totalled 131,800 RB (running bales, each weighing 226.8 kg), up sharply from 47,700 RB in the previous week and 16 per cent higher than the prior four-week average. The recovery followed a steep decline in the week ending May 7 when sales had fallen 61 per cent week-on-week and 66 per cent below the four-week average.
US Upland cotton export sales rebounded to 131,800 RB in the week ending May 14, 2026, after the previous week’s sharp fall.
Pakistan led buying, followed by Vietnam and Turkiye, while new-crop sales surged to 216,000 RB.
Shipments stayed below the recent average.
Pima sales improved slightly but remained weak, with India the top buyer and destination.
Pakistan emerged as the largest buyer during the latest reporting week with purchases of 65,300 RB, including reductions of 200 RB. Vietnam followed with 26,100 RB, including 4,500 RB switched from China, 900 RB switched from South Korea, 100 RB switched from Japan, and reductions of 4,400 RB. Turkiye booked 20,100 RB, including reductions of 100 RB, while Malaysia purchased 5,300 RB and China 3,400 RB. These gains were partly offset by reductions of 1,100 RB for Peru and 900 RB for South Korea.
New crop Upland sales for the 2026–27 marketing year rose sharply to 216,000 RB, compared with 29,700 RB in the previous week. Pakistan accounted for the bulk of new crop sales with 206,100 RB, followed by Indonesia and Turkiye at 4,500 RB each, and Mexico at 900 RB.
Upland export shipments remained broadly steady during the week. Exports totalled 289,400 RB, unchanged from the previous week but 11 per cent below the prior four-week average. Vietnam remained the leading destination with 110,800 RB, followed by Turkiye at 28,700 RB, Pakistan at 26,000 RB, Mexico at 22,100 RB, and Bangladesh at 21,200 RB.
Pima cotton sales showed a marginal weekly improvement but remained well below recent average levels. Net sales for the 2025–26 marketing year totalled 9,500 RB, up 2 per cent from the previous week but 52 per cent below the prior four-week average. India remained the largest buyer with 7,600 RB, followed by Pakistan at 1,100 RB, Peru at 500 RB, Thailand at 200 RB, and Vietnam at 100 RB.
New crop Pima sales for the 2026–27 marketing year stood at 7,700 RB, slightly below 7,900 RB in the previous week. Sales were reported for Peru at 4,000 RB and India at 3,700 RB.
Pima export shipments declined further during the week. Exports totalled 9,900 RB, down 18 per cent from the previous week and 19 per cent below the prior four-week average. India was the top destination with 4,600 RB, followed by China at 3,200 RB, Costa Rica at 1,700 RB, Pakistan at 300 RB, and Mexico at 100 RB.
Overall, the latest USDA data indicate a recovery in US Upland cotton export sales after the previous week’s sharp fall, supported mainly by strong buying from Pakistan, Vietnam, and Turkiye. However, export shipments remained below the recent average, while Pima demand continued to show weakness despite India’s sustained buying interest.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)