Cotton Climbs on Trade Talk Hopes, but Harvest Headwinds Loom

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This is your Daily Cotton Price Tracker with Vanessa Clark podcast.

Hello and welcome to Daily Cotton Price Tracker. I'm Vanessa Clark, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. Let's dive into what's happening in the cotton markets as of Friday, October 17th, 2025.

Cotton futures are showing some real strength today, climbing above 64 cents per pound to reach a one-week high. As of this afternoon, we're seeing prices at 64 point 24 cents per pound, which represents a nice uptick of about three-quarters of a percent from yesterday. This is giving cotton traders a much-needed boost after a challenging few weeks.

So what's driving this optimism? The big story is hope around potential trade talks between the United States and China. President Trump recently confirmed he'll be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that news has really improved market sentiment. Agricultural trade discussions are on the table, and traders are cautiously optimistic that we might see some progress on easing those ongoing trade tensions that have been weighing on global cotton demand.

Now, I do want to give you the full picture here. While we're seeing gains today, cotton prices are still down about 1 point 2 percent over the past month, and we're looking at a nearly 10 percent decrease compared to this time last year. So we're not out of the woods yet.

There's another interesting dynamic at play. The US cotton harvest is moving along, but many farmers are holding back on sales and storing their output instead. This is actually limiting market supply, which could provide some price support moving forward.

One challenge the market is facing is that China, historically a major buyer of US cotton, has been turning to Brazil and Argentina for their supplies. Plus, lower oil prices are making polyester more affordable, which creates additional competition for cotton.

Thanks so much for tuning in today. Be sure to subscribe to Daily Cotton Price Tracker so you never miss an update, and I'll see you next time.

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