Brazil’s April cotton exports hit record for the month

With nearly three months still to go before the end of the export period for cotton lint harvested in 2025, the fast pace of Brazilian shipments continues to support the domestic market and is bringing the country closer to a new all-time export record, according to the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea).

In April, Brazil exported 370,400 tonnes of cotton, up 6.5% from March and a sharp 54.9% higher than a year earlier, according to data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex). It was the largest volume ever shipped in April, standing just 18% below the all-time monthly record of 452,500 tonnes, reached in December 2025. According to Cepea, performance has remained strong in early May.

The following chart highlights the upward trajectory of Brazilian cotton exports over the last three years. This data is pulled directly from Datamar’s DataLiner platform:

Cotton Exports | Jan 2023 – Mar 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Domestic prices are also continuing to rise. On Tuesday, May 12, the Cepea/Esalq cotton lint indicator stood at R$4.2738 per pound, up 3.18% since the start of May.

Sellers remain firm on asking prices, supported both by recent gains in international markets — especially the benchmark for cotton delivered to the Far East and contracts traded on the New York exchange — and by limited availability of lots in the physical market.

Source: Globo Rural

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