Egyptian cotton exports open 2026/27 season at 6,811 tonnes, with India taking over 80%

Egyptian cotton exports reached 6,811 tonnes between 1 and 27 September 2026, the opening weeks of the 2026/27 export season, according to data from the Cotton Exporters Union reported by Egyptian business daily Al Mal on 29 September. The new season runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.

Only six countries bought Egyptian cotton in this period, the report said, and one buyer dominated:

• India: 5,495 tonnes, more than 80% of the total
• Germany: 760 tonnes
• Pakistan: 375 tonnes
• China: 105 tonnes
• Turkey: 50 tonnes
• Bahrain: 26 tonnes

Coming off a strong season

The new season follows a sharp rise in 2025/26. Egypt exported 64,060 tonnes of cotton between September 2025 and August 2026, compared with 39,216 tonnes a year earlier, with a value of more than $205 million, Al Mal reported. The area planted with cotton this year is about 205,000 feddans, up from 195,000 feddans last season, according to the same report.

In an earlier report on 23 September, Al Mal said global and domestic cotton prices were stable, but that shipments faced higher insurance costs and longer sea routes as vessels avoid areas of geopolitical tension.

What it means for Egyptian exporters

The early-season figures show that most Egyptian cotton leaving the country is going as raw fibre to India and Pakistan, where it is processed by mills that compete with Egypt's own textile industry. Germany's place as the second buyer points to continued European demand for the fibre itself. For Egyptian spinners, weavers and home-textile makers, a larger planted area and stable prices are positive for local sourcing, and buyers seeking finished Egyptian cotton products should keep in mind that competing mills abroad are drawing on the same crop.