ICAC 2026 World Cotton Trade Report: Global Trade to Reach 10.3 Million Tonnes by 2028/29

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has released its 2026 World Cotton Trade Report, analysing global cotton trade. According to the report, global cotton trade is expected to remain on a positive trajectory over the medium term despite increasing supply-side pressures.

Trade in the 2025/26 season is estimated at 9.4 million tonnes, a 2% increase over the previous season. Trade is projected to rise first to 9.6 million tonnes and then to approximately 10.3 million tonnes by the end of the 2028/29 season. By contrast, global cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected to decline by 2% to 25.8 million tonnes, while consumption is expected to remain relatively robust at 25.5 million tonnes.

The report’s author, ICAC Principal Statistician and Data Architect Parkhi Vats, stated that global cotton trade is entering a period in which supply constraints, inventory levels, policy decisions and consumption trends will play an increasingly important role, and that while production challenges and geopolitical uncertainty remain, the medium-term outlook points to continued growth in trade supported by stable consumption and shifting sourcing relationships.

The report also highlights how tariffs, trade agreements, logistical bottlenecks, energy costs and changing supplier relationships are adding uncertainty to cotton value chains, with disruptions affecting shipments through the Strait of Hormuz identified as a particularly important logistical concern. The 2026 World Cotton Trade Report is available free of charge on the ICAC website until January 2027.