地缘政治与贸易局势再起波澜 棉价内强外弱趋势强化

Price Review - Domestic cotton prices continued to rise, with the Zheng cotton futures main contract reaching 15,035 yuan/ton on January 7, a 1.5-year high, before slightly retreating. The average settlement price for the Zhengzhou cotton futures main contract was 14,806 yuan/ton, up 291 yuan/ton from the previous week, a 2.0% increase. The national cotton price B index averaged 15,712 yuan/ton, up 242 yuan/ton, a 1.6% increase compared to the previous week [2] - International cotton prices experienced a brief rise due to strong domestic Zheng cotton prices and expectations of reduced U.S. cotton planting area, but faced downward pressure from weak U.S. cotton export data. The average settlement price for the New York cotton futures main contract was 64.69 cents/pound, up 0.45 cents/pound, a 0.7% increase from the previous week. The average international cotton index (M) price was 72.6 cents/pound, equivalent to an import cost of 12,435 yuan/ton (calculated with a 1% tariff, excluding port and handling fees), down 87 yuan/ton, a 0.7% decrease from the previous week. The price difference between domestic and international cotton expanded to 3,277 yuan/ton, an increase of 329 yuan/ton from the previous week [2] Market Outlook - The global supply of cotton is tightening, while terminal consumption shows signs of recovery. Brazil's cotton exports reached 453,000 tons in December 2025, with a total annual export of 3.03 million tons, a 9% year-on-year increase, effectively supplementing global supply. The Indian Cotton Association raised its production estimate for the current year to 5.262 million tons, a slight year-on-year decrease of 0.77%, alleviating concerns about reduced production [5] - U.S. cotton exports remain weak, with a net contract volume of only 32,000 tons as of January 1, a further decline from the previous week, indicating weak spot demand. A recent survey indicated that U.S. cotton planting intentions for the 2026 season are expected to drop to 9.505 million acres, a decrease of 270,000 acres year-on-year, reflecting declining farmer enthusiasm and suggesting potential tightening of future supply [5] - The global apparel consumption demand is expected to recover, with inventory levels in major markets like the U.S. and South Korea dropping to near three-year lows. The consumer confidence index in the U.S. rose to 54 in January, the highest in four months, reinforcing expectations for improved terminal demand [5] - Domestic new cotton sales continue to increase, with a national cotton sales rate of 55.6% as of January 8, up 24.1 percentage points year-on-year, and 27.6 percentage points higher than the average of the past four years. The volume of cotton inspected has reached nearly 6.7 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 14.1% [5] - The downstream cotton yarn market shows mixed performance, with high and medium count yarns selling well, while low count yarns face sluggish sales. The operating rate of spinning enterprises remains stable but slightly decreased, with limited new order quantities [5][6] Market Dynamics - The domestic cotton market is influenced by a mix of bullish and bearish factors, with tightening supply expectations clashing with sluggish downstream transmission and increased imported cotton supply. Additionally, geopolitical and trade policy uncertainties are causing short-term fluctuations in Zheng cotton prices, which are likely to remain in a volatile pattern [6]