Weekly snapshot · 2026-04-26
Egyptian cotton price tracker
Where Giza 86 and Giza 94 trade vs the world. Cotton A Index, ICE Futures, Pima, Indian Shankar, Pakistani CC, Memphis territory — all benchmarked weekly. Egyptian ELS routinely trades at a 2-3× premium versus medium-staple world cotton.
Giza 86 — Egypt's flagship ELS
$2.42 / lb
€ 4.91 per kg · +1.2 % WoW
8-week trend ($/lb)
Cotton A Index — world benchmark
$0.86 / lb
€ 1.74 per kg · +0.3 % WoW
Egyptian Giza trades at 2.81× the Cotton A Index. The premium reflects ELS staple length (1-3/8 in vs 1-1/16 in) and high fineness/strength suited to luxury textile + premium home linen.
All benchmarks (2026-04-26)
| Variety | Origin / grade | $ / lb | € / kg | WoW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Giza 86 Premium ELS (Extra Long Staple). Tight 2025-26 harvest sustains pricing. | Egypt — Nile Delta GFG (Good Fully Good), 1-3/8 in staple | 2.42 | 4.91 | +1.2 % |
Giza 94 Top-tier ELS. Buyers : Italian luxury mills, Japanese spinners. | Egypt — Middle Egypt FG (Fully Good), 1-1/2 in staple | 2.71 | 5.50 | +0.8 % |
Pima Closest US analogue to Giza. Egyptian cotton trades at +30 % premium vs Pima. | United States — California / Arizona GFG, 1-3/8 in staple | 1.84 | 3.73 | -0.4 % |
Cotton A Index Industry reference. Tracks medium-staple, not ELS — Giza always trades premium. | Global benchmark Composite of medium-staple cotton offers, c/lb CIF Far East | 0.86 | 1.74 | +0.3 % |
ICE Futures #2 Most-liquid cotton future. Driven by US weather + China demand. | NY Mercantile, May 2026 contract Strict middling, 1-1/16 in | 0.81 | 1.64 | -0.7 % |
Shankar-6 2025-26 Indian harvest -18 % YoY (USDA). Driving spot squeeze. | India — Gujarat Medium-staple, ICS-105 | 0.79 | 1.60 | +1.8 % |
Memphis territory Largest US export volume. Direct competitor to Indian medium-staple. | United States — Mississippi Delta Strict low middling, 1-1/16 in | 0.83 | 1.68 | -0.2 % |
CC Pak 2025-26 harvest -22 % YoY (USDA). Buyers diverting to Egypt + Türkiye. | Pakistan — Punjab + Sindh Medium-staple, 1-1/16 in | 0.91 | 1.85 | +2.4 % |
Why Egyptian Giza commands the premium
- Staple length. Giza 86 averages 1-3/8 in (35 mm), Giza 94 reaches 1-1/2 in (38 mm). Cotton A Index medium-staple averages 1-1/16 in (27 mm). Longer staple = stronger, finer, smoother yarn.
- Fineness + strength. Egyptian ELS hits 4.5-5.0 micronaire and 32+ g/tex strength — top decile of world cotton. Critical for combed compact yarns used by Italian and Japanese luxury weavers.
- 2025-26 supply squeeze. India -18 %, Pakistan -22 % YoY production (USDA Mar 2026). Buyers diverting to Egypt and Türkiye — Egyptian cotton exports up +22 % YoY. The premium will sustain through 2026 unless Northern Hemisphere harvests rebound sharply.
- Origin authentication. The Cotton Egypt Association (CEA) operates a brand-protection program — the golden-triangle seal certifies genuine Egyptian origin. EU + Japanese buyers pay for the badge. Counterfeit risk in the global market keeps real Giza at a defensible premium.
Sourcing Egyptian cotton in 2026?
Lock contracts before the September harvest. With AGADIR, EU customs duty is 0 % on cotton — verified suppliers ship to Hamburg, Genoa, Marseille every week.
Sources + methodology
- USDA FAS World Cotton Reference — weekly outlook + PSD database (2026-W17). https://fas.usda.gov
- ICE Futures Cotton #2 — May 2026 contract settlement, NYMEX.
- Cotton Outlook (Cotlook) — Cotton A Index, weekly published.
- Egyptian Cotton Association (CEA) — Giza 86 + Giza 94 reference quotes, weekly.
- Currency conversion at 1 USD = 0.92 EUR (April 2026). Quote conversions are arithmetic, not market-spot — for actual spot, plug your bank's rate the day of the order.