Softs: Cocoa heads near 1-1/2 month lows, raw sugar also falls

Suedzucker AG

13/01/2026 10:55

LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) -
Cocoa futures on the ICE exchange headed back near 1-1/2 month lows on Tuesday on indications demand for the chocolate ingredient remains weak, while raw sugar also fell.

        COCOA

* New York cocoa CCc1 was down 1.4% at $5,371 a metric ton at 1042 GMT, having hit a 1-1/2 month low of $5,192 on Monday despite Friday's 12% plunge.

* Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli's LISN.S sales volumes, a measure of cocoa demand, declined around 6% year-on-year in 2025, Zuercher Kantonalbank said Tuesday as the company warned its volumes might remain negative in 2026.

* Concerns over demand weakness continue to weigh on cocoa.

* Dealers expect this Thursday's fourth-quarter Europe grind data, a measure of demand, will come in between -0.3% to -2%, while Friday's Asian grind figures will slide to between -10% to -11.7%.

* London cocoa LCCc1 dipped 0.1% to 3,933 pounds per ton, having hit a 1-1/2 month low of ‚Äã‚Äã3,779 on Monday.

        SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 ‚Äã‚Äãslipped 0.2% to 14.81 cents per lb, having settled down 0.3% on Monday.

* Europe's largest sugar producer Suedzucker SZUG.DE

cut its third-quarter losses from its sugar business to 47 million euros from 95 million euros last year, but warned EU sugar markets are likely to remain depressed

* "The challenge we are facing is sugar production, in the EU and worldwide, is above consumption," a Suedzucker spokesperson said. "No significant earnings recovery in the sugar market is expected."

* The global sugar surplus for the 2025/26 season is projected at 4.7 million metric tons, up 600,000 tons from a previous forecast, consultancy CovrigAnalytics said.

* White sugar LSUc1 dipped 0.1% to $422.80 a ton.

        COFFEE

* Arabica coffee KCc1 rose 0.8% to $3.5890 per lb, having settled down 0.4% on Monday.

* U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday any country that does business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on trade with the U.S.

* Top coffee producer Brazil is a big supplier of agricultural goods to Iran, and it also accounts for about a third of U.S. coffee imports.

* Robusta coffee LRCc2 rose 0.3% to $3,929 a ton.

 (Reporting by May Angel; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

 ((may.angel@thomsonreuters.com; x.com/ReutersAngelM; linkedin.com/in/may-angel-03b69a41/;))