Date Posted: October 29, 2025
Washington, DC — The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has released the 2025 World Cotton Trade Report, which covers trade developments in raw cotton since 1980. An annual publication, it provides analysis of world trade by region; import/export projections by country; matrices of trade flows; and seasonal estimates of export commitments to date.
Among the major trends it addresses from the 2024/25 season:
- World trade declined by 4% from the previous season to 9.4 million tonnes,
- Brazil remained the largest exporter and Bangladesh became the largest importer,
- The impact of major variables such as tariff escalations, cotton lint consumption, regulatory and market pressures, and the overall complexity of the cotton value chain.
While the global cotton and textile industry faces multiple challenges, there is reason for optimism, according to 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,” she said.
The 2025 World Cotton Trade Report is available for purchase on the ICAC website here for $250.
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About the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Formed in 1939, the ICAC is an association of cotton producing, consuming, trading, and investing countries. It acts as a catalyst for change by helping member countries maintain a healthy world cotton economy; provides transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production; and serves as a forum for discussing cotton issues of international significance. In addition, members can take advantage of the ICAC’s global network of cotton researchers, whose expertise covers the supply chain from farm to textile manufacturing and have free access to its cutting-edge technologies like the voice-based app and virtual technology cotton training program. Committed to ensuring cotton’s continued sustainability, the ICAC is the only intergovernmental commodity body covering cotton that is recognized by the United Nations. For more information, please visit www.icac.org, Twitter or LinkedIn.