Weekly Cotton Market Update – Week 13, 2026

India pushes greener textile manufacturing:
India outlined textile sustainability measures in a Lok Sabha reply by Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh. The update includes an ESG Task Force, support for 1,117 energy-saving machines under ATUFS, approval of 6 CETPs with Zero Liquid Discharge, and a pilot across 400 factories in eight clusters and four fashion houses targeting 1,47,000 tCO2eq mitigation and 10,530 tonnes lower harmful chemical use. This matters for spinning and processing economics because cleaner factories, lower chemical intensity, and better effluent systems can gradually reshape how fibre-based supply chains compete. Net-net, India is building the operating backbone for a more resource-efficient textile base.

India’s cotton imports surge on lower prices:
India’s cotton imports jumped 130% in volume and 92% in value in 2025. The accessible text shows that average import prices fell to $1.86 per kg, which encouraged higher procurement, while Brazil became the top supplier, replacing Australia. The key signal here is mill buying behaviour: when global prices soften, procurement can quickly swing toward imported fibre. Expect landed-price advantage and supplier shifts to influence sourcing decisions more aggressively in such phases.

Fairtrade study highlights organic cotton gains:
A Fairtrade-released study linked Fairtrade-certified organic cotton in India with lower greenhouse gas emissions and better farmer income outcomes. The research covered 516 cotton farmers in India, was presented at the International Cotton Conference in Bremen, and found no evidence of deforestation within the farm boundaries examined. The commercial angle is that farmer income and farm-level emissions are being presented together, which strengthens the case for verified sourcing models. This suggests brands may increasingly view certified organic programmes as a supply strategy, not only a claims strategy.

Textile Exchange expands cotton impact data:
Textile Exchange published its cotton Life Cycle Assessment study as the first in a series of seven raw-material LCAs. The study covers Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, Peru, Tanzania, Türkiye, and the USA; includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country-average conventional cotton; identifies field emissions as the main hotspot; and says data will be submitted in 2026 to Higg MSI, Ecoinvent, and WALDB. The bigger takeaway is about decision-making infrastructure: better impact data can change how brands, mills, and standards compare sourcing pathways. That likely means more focus on nitrogen management at the farm level, since field emissions emerge as the main hotspot across most systems and countries.