Brazil sets cotton export record
Brazil ended the 2025/26 commercial year with record cotton exports, consolidating its position as the world’s largest exporter and reinforcing its role as a strategic supplier to the global textile industry.
Between August 2025 and July 2026, the country exported 3,373,941 tonnes of cotton, an increase of 19% compared with the previous cycle. Export revenues reached a record US$5.3 billion, around 9% higher than in 2024/25, according to ComexStat data compiled by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa).
The increase represents approximately 538,500 additional tonnes of Brazilian cotton sold overseas during the year.
© Abrapa
According to Danyella Bonfim, Market Intelligence and Analysis Coordinator at Abrapa, the performance reflects a transformation built over several years, supported by increased production and improvements in the quality, traceability and sustainability of Brazilian cotton.
“Brazil has expanded its production and gained scale, while also making progress in quality, traceability and sustainability. This combination has strengthened the competitiveness of Brazilian cotton and, above all, international buyers’ confidence in the country’s ability to supply the market on a regular and consistent basis,” she said.
Data from the United States Department of Agriculture, presented in Abrapa’s August report, showed Brazil maintaining its position at the top of the global cotton export rankings. The United States ranked second in 2025/26 with exports of 2.656 million tonnes, followed by Australia with 1.241 million tonnes.
© Abrapa
Brazil exported approximately 718,000 tonnes more than the United States, its principal competitor in the international market. Abrapa attributes the country’s increasingly strategic position to four main pillars: quality, sustainability, traceability and supply capacity.
“Brazil is able to bring these attributes together on a large scale, providing security to an industry that needs to plan its raw material supply throughout the year,” Bonfim said. “This combination has been fundamental to strengthening the competitiveness of Brazilian cotton and building long-term commercial relationships.”
China was the largest destination for Brazilian cotton during the commercial year, importing 770,500 tonnes, equivalent to approximately 23% of total exports.
Compared with 2024/25, shipments to China increased by 309,200 tonnes. Abrapa said the increase was partly related to trade tensions between China and the United States, with additional tariffs affecting the competitiveness of US cotton in the Chinese market.
Bangladesh also contributed significantly to the growth, with purchases increasing by 173,200 tonnes. The increase reflects the expansion of the country’s textile industry and growing demand for mechanically harvested cotton, an area in which Brazil offers significant scale and supply capacity.
However, shipments to some important markets declined. Vietnam recorded a reduction of 137,400 tonnes, while exports to Pakistan fell by 79,200 tonnes.
© Abrapa
India also emerged as an increasingly important market, increasing its imports of Brazilian cotton more than 40-fold in two years. Although India is itself one of the world’s largest cotton producers, its extensive textile manufacturing industry can require significant imports when domestic production is insufficient.
The temporary suspension of India’s 11% tariff on cotton imports during 2025 helped stimulate overseas purchases, with Brazil benefiting from product availability, competitive pricing and logistical capacity.
Abrapa said the growth also reflected several years of work to strengthen relationships with the Indian textile industry, meaning Brazilian cotton was already familiar to buyers when demand for imports increased.
“When the need to import more emerged, Brazilian cotton was already known and had a presence among buyers,” Bonfim said. “It is important to remember that this more-than-40-fold growth started from a small base. Even so, the speed of the expansion is remarkable and shows India’s potential to become increasingly relevant.”
Brazilian cotton shipments accelerated towards the end of 2025. Exports reached 294,000 tonnes in October and 402,000 tonnes in November before climbing to a commercial-year high of 452,000 tonnes in December.
Volumes declined to 317,000 tonnes in January 2026 and 270,000 tonnes in February before recovering to 348,000 tonnes in March and 370,000 tonnes in April.
Despite traditionally being a slower month, July closed the cycle with exports of 155,000 tonnes, up 21.8% compared with July 2025 and representing the second-highest result recorded for the month.
© Abrapa
The commercial year generated a US$5.293 billion surplus in Brazil’s cotton trade balance, 9% higher than in the previous cycle.
For 2026/27, Abrapa forecasts Brazilian cotton production of approximately 3.9 million tonnes and exports of around 3.1 million tonnes. The anticipated decline in shipments is primarily related to expectations of a smaller crop and consequently reduced availability for international markets.
Despite the expected reduction, Abrapa remains positive about the longer-term outlook, with greater emphasis now being placed on diversifying export destinations and developing lasting relationships with international textile manufacturers.
“The challenge now is not simply to export more, but to increase market share, diversify destinations and consolidate long-term commercial relationships,” Bonfim concluded.