SunSirs: Cotton Imports Continue Strong Month-on-Month Rebound in September

Data released by the General Administration of Customs shows that China imported approximately 100,000 metric tons of cotton in September 2025, marking an 18.7% year-on-year decrease. The import value fell by 26.3% compared to the same period last year. Cumulative cotton imports from January to September 2025 reached 680,000 metric tons, down 69.8% year-on-year, with the import value declining by 72.5%.

China Cotton Network analysis indicates that while September cotton imports still showed a significant year-on-year decline, they maintained the substantial month-on-month growth momentum observed since July (up approximately 37% year-on-year, with July and August imports rising 93.8% and 36.9% year-on-year, respectively). Consequently, the year-on-year decline in total cotton imports since the beginning of 2025 has continued to narrow. Imports of Australian, Brazilian, Turkish, U.S., Egyptian, and Israeli cotton remained dominant, while imports from African, Mexican, Argentine, and Kazakhstani origins showed signs of recovery.

Industry analysis attributes the continued substantial year-on-year growth in China's cotton imports during September to four primary factors:

First, the ICE cotton futures main contract traded within the 66-67 cents/lb range for most of September, with significantly reduced market volatility. This restored confidence among textile enterprises and traders holding import quotas.

Second, with the gradual allocation of 2025 sliding-scale tariff cotton import quotas and the extension of the China-U.S. tariff buffer period to November 10, some large-scale, export-oriented enterprises reduced their wait-and-see attitude, accelerating the utilization of their 1% quotas.

Third, since late August, arrivals of 2024/25 Brazilian new-crop cotton from large cotton enterprises' pre-sold/pre-booked shipments have increased. Some shipments were imported through customs clearance by buyers or traders, while others entered bonded warehouses.

Fourth, Australian cotton from the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons continues to win favor among domestic textile enterprises and intermediaries due to its quality, particularly grades SLM, M, and SM/GM. Australian cotton with 1-5/32 and longer staple lengths increasingly serves as a substitute for high-quality U.S. and Chinese cotton.

Additionally, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released detailed rules for applying for and arranging cotton import tariff quotas for 2026. The total cotton import tariff quota for 2026 is 894,000 metric tons, with 33% allocated as state-trading quotas. The quotas do not restrict trade methods, allowing enterprises to determine their own approaches.

As an integrated internet platform providing benchmark prices, on October 31, SunSirs' lint cotton benchmark price stood at 14,846.50 RMB/ton, representing a 0.28% decrease compared to the beginning of the month (14,888.83 RMB/ton).

Application of SunSirs Benchmark Pricing：

Traders can price spot and contract transactions based on the pricing principle of agreed markup and pricing formula (Transaction price=SunSirs price + Markup).

If you have any inquiries or purchasing needs, please feel free to contact SunSirs with support@sunsirs.com.