Jon Devine, Cotton Incorporated’s Senior Economist in the Corporate Strategy & Program Metrics Division sat down with Hertzman Global Intelligence (HGI) to discuss the outlook for the global cotton market.
Despite widespread economic and policy uncertainty in 2025, cotton prices have remained stable, fluctuating only a few cents per pound and sitting near historic lows. According to Devine, this stability reflects earlier market corrections driven by shifts in global supply and demand—most notably China’s pullback from buying and Brazil’s growing production—rather than current policy shocks. For apparel sourcing and supply chain leaders, cotton’s predictability stands out at a time when tariffs, labor and logistics costs remain volatile, offering a rare pocket of cost and planning stability even if broader industry sentiment hasn’t caught up yet.
Looking ahead, Devine highlighted meaningful opportunities for brands to leverage U.S.-grown cotton more strategically. New U.S. content tariff exemptions, potential legislation like the Buying American Cotton Act and cotton’s unmatched traceability advantages could unlock tariff savings and tax incentives, especially for basics like knit goods. As brands reassess sourcing footprints amid shifting trade dynamics, U.S. cotton offers not just environmental and compliance benefits, but also financial and risk-management advantages versus synthetics—making it a compelling, lower-risk input in an otherwise uncertain global apparel supply chain.
Watch the full interview here to learn more about the outlook for cotton in 2026 and the years ahead.
