In the latest weekly export sales report from the USDA, U.S. upland cotton showed a solid performance, while Pima cotton continued to struggle. For the week ending May 22, 2025, upland cotton net sales reached 118,700 running bales for the 2024–25 marketing year. This figure marks a 16% decline from the previous week but remains 8% above the four-week average, signaling steady international demand. Export shipments for upland cotton were reported at 275,400 bales, up 10% from the previous week, although still 18% lower than the four-week average.
Vietnam was the leading buyer of upland cotton with purchases of 117,000 running bales, followed by Pakistan (34,300), Türkiye (33,900), Bangladesh (18,100), and Mexico (11,900). These numbers highlight continued strong demand from key Asian textile markets despite fluctuations in weekly sales.
On the other hand, Pima cotton sales hit a marketing-year low. Net sales dropped sharply to just 1,700 running bales—significantly down from both the previous week and the four-week average. Shipments also declined, totaling 6,700 bales, which represents a 12% week-over-week drop and a 25% fall from the average of the past month.
Top destinations for Pima shipments were Vietnam (2,700 bales), India (1,000), China (900), Ethiopia (900), and Peru (700). The sharp decline in Pima sales and shipments may suggest a cooling off in demand for premium cotton varieties.
Overall, while upland cotton remains a bright spot for U.S. cotton exporters, the weakening demand for Pima cotton is a trend to watch closely in the coming weeks.
