Cotton Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

The US paid the most for cotton in Q2 2026: USD 2,189/MT, up 1.8% from USD 2,151 in Q1. The steady textile-mill demand kept things firm there. Worldwide, the average moved up 1.8%, to USD 2,028/MT from USD 1,992, largely because the growing-season weather across the major producing regions ran a bit tighter than usual this year. What about H2 2026? We'd expect a global average somewhere in the USD 2,000-2,170/MT range, with the steady textile-mill demand doing most of the work.

Cotton is picked from the boll, ginned to separate the lint fiber from the seed, then baled for sale into the textile-milling supply chain. India grows the largest crop by area planted, though China's yields and textile-mill demand make it the largest consumer, while the US and Brazil round out the other major export-oriented producing regions. Three things move the price more than anything else: the growing-season weather across the major producing regions, the textile-mill demand tied to apparel and home-goods manufacturing, and how much acreage farmers commit relative to competing crops each planting season.

The lint-versus-seed split at ginning is worth understanding, since it shapes how this commodity's economics actually work. When raw seed cotton is ginned, only about a third of its weight comes out as the lint fiber that feeds textile mills, with the remaining cottonseed sold separately into crushing and feed markets. That co-product relationship means cotton growers' overall returns depend on both markets simultaneously, and it's part of why cotton acreage decisions can be influenced by cottonseed and cottonseed-oil pricing trends as much as by the lint price alone. Buyers new to this market sometimes underestimate how much that structural detail matters until they see it play out in the pricing data over a full cycle.

China's dual role as both a major producer and the single largest textile-milling market deserves a mention too, since it makes Chinese cotton pricing behave somewhat differently from the more purely export-oriented markets in India, the US, and Brazil. A meaningful share of what China grows domestically gets absorbed by its own enormous textile industry rather than moving through international trade, which can make Chinese pricing more sensitive to domestic mill demand than to the broader international cotton market.

Cotton Price Forecast for 2026

Supply and demand should stay moderately tight through H2 2026, with the growing-season weather running a bit tighter than usual across several producing regions. The US and China both kept the textile-mill demand steady through H1, and that's likely to continue. Brazil's export volumes kept building as well, while India's large domestic crop kept it the most affordable of the four. None of the four markets we track is showing signs of genuine disruption heading into the back half of the year.

Buyers should keep an eye on acreage-planting decisions heading into the next season, since cotton competes for land with several other crops, and a particularly strong price this year could prompt farmers to shift more acreage into cotton by the following planting cycle. That's worth building into any longer-range planning rather than assuming current conditions will simply persist unchanged.

The cottonseed co-product market is worth tracking alongside the lint price, since grower returns depend on both simultaneously, and a shift in cottonseed or cottonseed-oil demand can influence overall cotton-planting decisions independently of the lint price itself.

What could push prices higher? A weaker-than-expected harvest in any of the major producing regions, or stronger-than-usual textile-mill demand. What could pull them lower? A stronger harvest than currently expected, or farmers shifting more acreage into cotton to chase the higher returns.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Cotton Prices Q2 2026:

• India: USD 1,903/MT
• China: USD 2,083/MT
• United States: USD 2,189/MT
• Brazil: USD 2,007/MT

Cotton Prices in India

India's cotton growers saw a slightly tighter harvest come in this quarter, and the gain came to 1.8%, USD 1,869/MT to USD 1,903. That kept India comfortably the most affordable of the four markets given its scale of production.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q2 2026 in India?

The growing-season weather ran a bit tighter than usual, and the domestic and export demand held firm regardless.

Cotton Prices in China

China climbed 1.8% to USD 2,083/MT, the domestic textile-milling demand continuing to hold steady through the period.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q2 2026 in China?

The domestic textile-milling demand held steady, and that alone explains most of the move here.

Cotton Prices in United States

USD 2,189/MT. That's where the US landed in Q2, up 1.8% from USD 2,151 in Q1. The export and textile-mill demand stayed steady, and the tighter growing-season conditions pushed things higher.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q2 2026 in United States?

The textile-mill demand didn't move much, honestly. It was the tighter growing-season conditions doing most of the work this quarter.

Cotton Prices in Brazil

Brazil gained 1.8% to USD 2,007/MT, the growing export volumes continuing to build through the period.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q2 2026 in Brazil?

The export volumes kept building, and the growing-season conditions firmed alongside them.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Cotton Prices Q1 2026:

• India: USD 1,869/MT
• China: USD 2,046/MT
• United States: USD 2,151/MT
• Brazil: USD 1,972/MT

Cotton Prices in India

India gained 1.8% to USD 1,869/MT, the early harvest signals pointing to a slightly tighter crop.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q1 2026 in India?

The early harvest signals pointed to a slightly tighter crop, and the demand firmed right alongside that uncertainty.

Cotton Prices in China

Chinese cotton rose 1.8% to USD 2,046/MT, the textile-milling demand firming with the new year.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q1 2026 in China?

The textile-milling demand firmed with the new year, tracking the domestic apparel-manufacturing activity closely.

Cotton Prices in United States

US cotton climbed 1.8% to USD 2,151/MT, the export and textile demand staying firm through the quarter.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q1 2026 in United States?

The export and textile demand stayed firm, and the growing-season conditions firmed alongside them.

Cotton Prices in Brazil

Brazilian cotton rose 1.8% to USD 1,972/MT, the export volumes building through the quarter.

Why did the price of Cotton change in Q1 2026 in Brazil?

The export volumes built through the quarter, tracking the international textile-mill buying closely.

Quarterly Cotton Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 1,900/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,028 by Q2 2026, a net gain of about 6.7%. Every quarter posted a gain here, reflecting the tighter growing-season conditions and the steady textile-mill demand across every market we track, with the pace of the gains picking up somewhat in the most recent two quarters. That kind of steady, uninterrupted climb is worth noting, since it stands in contrast to how choppy some other commodities in this space have looked over the same period.

What was Cotton Price in 2025?

2025 was a steady year for cotton. Starting near USD 1,900/MT in Q1, the global average finished 2025 at USD 1,957, a gain of about 3.0%. The textile-mill demand held consistent all year across every market we track, before the pace of gains picked up further once the tighter 2026 growing season got underway. Buyers who track this market closely tend to view that steady annual pattern as the baseline against which any future quarter's move should be judged.

Cotton Prices in India in 2025

Indian prices moved from about USD 1,780/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,836 by Q4, up roughly 3.1%. The domestic demand held steady all year, and India stayed the most affordable of the four markets throughout.

Cotton Prices in China in 2025

Chinese prices climbed from USD 1,950/MT in Q1 to USD 2,010 by Q4, a 3.1% gain, tracking the steady textile-milling demand.

Cotton Prices in United States in 2025

US prices rose from USD 2,050/MT in Q1 to USD 2,113 by Q4, up 3.1%, the highest absolute price throughout the four markets on the steady export and textile demand.

Cotton Prices in Brazil in 2025

Brazilian prices moved from USD 1,880/MT in Q1 to USD 1,937 by Q4, a 3.0% gain, as the export volumes kept building through the year.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Cotton Price Intelligence

We keep a continuous eye on the cotton prices wherever it's grown or consumed at scale, tracing causation through the growing-season weather across the major producing regions, the textile-mill demand tied to apparel and home-goods manufacturing, and the acreage-planting decisions farmers make each season. Our analysts track the cottonseed co-product market alongside the lint price, given how directly the two together shape grower planting decisions. We also flag any material shift in the underlying feedstock or trade-logistics conditions as soon as it becomes apparent. Need pricing data, bespoke market analysis, or procurement advisory? Reach out to our team.