ICAC: Global Cotton Trade Down 4% in 2024/25

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has issued its 2025 World Cotton Trade Report, an annual publication that analyzes developments in the global raw cotton trade dating back to 1980. The report provides detailed assessments of world trade by region, import/export projections by country, trade flow matrices, and seasonal estimates of export commitments.

According to the report, several key trends characterized the 2024/25 season:

• World cotton trade fell by 4% from the previous year, totaling 9.4 million tonnes.
• Brazil continued as the largest exporter, while Bangladesh emerged as the largest importer.
• The trade dynamics were influenced by factors such as tariff escalations, cotton lint consumption trends, regulatory and market pressures, and the complexity of the global cotton value chain.

Despite current headwinds, there is optimism for the coming year, said Parkhi Vats, ICAC Economic Affairs Officer and editor of the World Cotton Trade Report.

“As of October 2025, ICAC estimates that trade will increase in the 2025/26 season by 4% to 9.8 million tonnes, due to the positive expectation of improved consumption and imports from China, as well as the creation of new business relationships that are positive for cotton lint trade,” said Ms. Vats.

The 2025 World Cotton Trade Report is now available for purchase on the ICAC website for $250.