# Robinson: Week of September 6 Cotton Market Summary Author: Beck Barnes Published: 2026-09-14 Canonical URL: https://www.cottongrower.com/market-analysis/robinson-cotton-market-summary-for-week-of-september-6/ --- For the holiday-shortened week ending Friday, September 11, ICE cotton futures followed a sideways gyration. The most active Dec ’26 settled Thursday at 88.22 cents per pound, up 1.77 cents the previous Thursday’s settlement. However, Friday’s settlement was 86.06 cents per pound, down 2.16 cents on the day. [Chinese cotton prices](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/chinastockpiling/) declined across week, while the A-Index of world cotton prices was more flat/mixed. [Other agricultural futures](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/recent-price-patterns-and-short-term-influences/currency-valuations/) followed mixed paths this week. CBOT corn traded sideways, then downshifted and traded sideways at a lower level. CBOT soybeans and KC wheat futures both trended upward across the week. WTI oil futures followed a steady uptrend while the [U.S. dollar index](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/recent-price-patterns-and-short-term-influences/currency-valuations/us-dollar-index/) dipped and recovered in a U-shaped pattern. Cotton-focused news this week included modestly bullish [supply and demand adjustments](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/oldcrop-fundamentals-and-outlook/)by USDA. USDA NASS’s published weekly rates of[boll setting and boll](http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/796051/prog3626.pdf) opening remained at par or nearly at par with their five year averages, through September 7. Over the same time frame, the [aggregate U.S. cotton crop condition](http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/796031/prog3426.pdf) slipped five percentage points out of the Good-Excellent category into the Fair category. The Cotton Belt received [widely scattered rains](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/oldcrop-caveats/cumulativeprecip/) from New Mexico to Virginia, most of it earlier tropical moisture, but still little where it is [most needed in northwestern Texas.](https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/09/09/texas-aquaculture-stable-as-producers-contend-with-summer-heat-drought/) The recent pattern of rainfall, or lack thereof, is reflected in the [current drought monitor](https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/) and also in the latest regional summaries for Texas (click [here](https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/09/09/texas-aquaculture-stable-as-producers-contend-with-summer-heat-drought/) and scroll down). The latter descriptions support anecdotal evidence that the cotton crops in northwestern Texas are being damaged by current dryness and heat. Current marketing year [net export sales](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/whats-new/u-s-export-sales-old-crop/) of upland cotton for the week ending September 3 were improved over the prior week, but nevertheless pretty poor. Weekly U.S. cotton export shipments remained below USDA’s export target level for the 2026/27 marketing year. [Reported demand indicators](http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/cnwwcmr.pdf)included inactive to slow spot trading, very light to moderate demand, and light to moderate supplies, all depending on the region. On the other side of the world, various influences (e.g., South Asian monsoon, June crop damage in Xinjiang, and [reduced world acreage](https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/cotton-news/china-us-brazil-to-cut-cotton-area-in-2026-27-icac-310722-newsdetails.htm), particularly in Australia) could paint a potentially tighter global supply picture. Through Thursday, September 10, the daily shifts in ICE cotton[open interest](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/recent-price-patterns-and-short-term-influences/volume-and-open-interest/) were mixed higher and lower compared to the previous day. The most recent Tuesday speculative snapshot (represented by the CFTC’s CIT “Supplemental” report for [September 8](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/recent-price-patterns-and-short-term-influences/net-position-of-speculators/)) reflected a shift from net long positioning early in the week. Specifically, there were 13,118 fewer (liquidated) hedge fund longs, week over week. This outweighed 403 fewer (covered) hedge fund shorts as well as a 4,137 expansion in the index fund net long position, all compared to last week. The dynamics of ICE cotton futures may previously had been a wet blanket on the market, but one that appears to be lifting. The recently [falling certified stock levels](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/recent-price-patterns-and-short-term-influences/certstocks/) could reflect improving commercial demand for U.S. cotton. And while[unfixed call sales](https://cottonmarketing.tamu.edu/recent-price-patterns-and-short-term-influences/on-call-sales-report/) were at a relatively low level earlier in 2026 (perhaps reflecting the cautionary buying on the demand side) the level of unfixed call sales has risen past the level of unfixed call purchases. The former reflects buying (or potential buying) of cotton futures by mills., i.e.,. a bullish indicator.