Brazilian cotton is gaining share not only through volume, but through quality, traceability and increasingly diversified export logistics.
Brazilian cotton exports reached a June record in 2026, with shipments of 217,000 tonnes, up 63.4% from June 2025. Export revenue rose 64.1% year on year to $350.6 million, according to Secex data cited by Datamar. Containerised cotton exports were also up 24.3% year to date compared with the same period last year.
Asian mills drive the surge
The June destination mix shows how central Asian and near-Asian spinning markets have become to Brazil’s cotton trade. Bangladesh accounted for 21.7% of June shipments, followed by Turkey with 17.7%, Pakistan with 17.4% and Vietnam with 14.3%. Together, the four markets absorbed 71.1% of Brazil’s cotton exports during the month.
For spinning mills in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam and Turkey, Brazilian cotton offers a large-volume alternative to US, Australian and African origins. Its appeal is strengthened by bale-level traceability, HVI testing, relatively consistent quality and growing acceptance among brands seeking more transparent cotton sourcing.
A strong finish to the crop year
Brazil’s National Association of Cotton Exporters said the June performance capped a strong 2025-26 commercial cycle. Despite a slow start caused by shipment delays, Brazil set monthly export records in seven of the crop year’s 12 months: October, November, December, March, April, May and June. Bangladesh and Turkey reached historic purchase volumes, while India more than doubled its previous record.
The USDA expects Brazil to remain the world’s largest cotton exporter in 2026-27, forecasting exports of 15 million bales, or 3.2 million tonnes. It also notes Brazil’s competitive position is supported by consistent quality, bale-by-bale traceability and the ABR responsible cotton programme benchmarked against Better Cotton.
Logistics become part of competitiveness
Santos remains Brazil’s dominant cotton gateway, but Salvador and other ports are gaining relevance as the export base expands. For textile importers, the next signal to watch is not only Brazil’s crop size, but shipment reliability, port capacity and price competitiveness against US and Australian cotton. Brazil is becoming a structural cotton supplier, not a seasonal substitute.
