India, China Continue to Dominate Egypt’s Cotton Exports

The global demand for Egyptian cotton remains robust, with India and China continuing their dominance in the export market. 

From September 2024 to mid-July 2025, a total of 35.9 thousand tons of Egyptian seedless cotton (short-staple cotton) were exported to 17 Asian and European countries.

According to a recent report from the Cotton Exporters Union of Alexandria, India led the charge by importing a significant 22,000 tons of Egyptian cotton. China followed closely behind, importing 5.75 thousand tons, while Pakistan imported around 3.8 thousand tons.

The Top Export Destinations

In addition to India and China, several other countries have shown interest in Egyptian cotton:

Switzerland: 1,000 tons

Vietnam: 572 tons

Turkey: 575 tons

Bangladesh: 458 tons

Djibouti: 300 tons

Thailand: 109 tons

Bahrain: 205 tons

Italy: 108 tons

Germany: 491 tons

Portugal: 96 tons

Mexico: 47 tons

Malaysia: 5 tons

Japan: 12 tons

Indonesia: 75 tons

The report highlighted that Egyptian cotton exports are categorized into various types, with a strong focus on long-staple cotton varieties, especially the Giza 98, 95, 94, and 86 strains. In total, 32,500 tons of these long-staple cotton varieties were exported. Additionally, around 3.4 thousand tons of extra-long staple cotton varieties, such as Giza 93, 92, 96, 87, and 43, were shipped out to international markets.

Notably, Giza 43 and Giza 93 are cultivated using organic methods, making them highly sought after in specialized markets, particularly in Germany, where these varieties are exported under specific contracts.

Cotton Farming and Government Support

The total area of land allocated for cotton cultivation in the 2024-2025 season is estimated to be around 311,000 feddans. In an effort to support local farmers, the government had initially set a guaranteed price for cotton at EGP 12,000 per qintar (a traditional unit of weight for cotton) in March of the previous year. However, the price was later reduced to EGP 10,000 per qintar. 

The auction process had originally started with a price of EGP 12,000 or the global price, whichever was higher. However, due to decreased demand from private companies, the government agreed to reduce the starting price to EGP 10,000 to attract more bidders.

Despite the reduced starting price for cotton auctions, Egyptian cotton exports have faced a downturn. A report reveals that the quantity of cotton exports in the current year has dropped by approximately 70% compared to the same period last year. 

This decline is attributed to the higher opening prices at auctions earlier in the season, which led to a reduced participation rate from companies. The government’s decision to lower the starting price by EGP 2,000 per qintar has been viewed as a positive step to boost the cotton export sector.