Cocoa Market Figures: Data, Units & Reporting Guide
Find the cocoa figures that matter: futures prices, ICE inventories, port arrivals, grindings and COT. Understand their units, reporting periods and limits.
Published by Cocoa Market Hub · by Jed McNeish · Guide updated See database benefits and access options ↓Which cocoa market figures should you follow?
A useful cocoa market snapshot connects price, physical supply, processing demand and positioning. These series describe different parts of the market; they should not be added together or treated as interchangeable measures of available cocoa.
- Cocoa futures prices — identify the market, currency, contract and session date.
- ICE cocoa inventories — distinguish reported warehouse totals from certified stocks.
- Ivory Coast cocoa port arrivals — compare weekly flows with equivalent weeks.
- Cocoa grindings — compare regional processing volumes over matching periods.
- Cocoa COT report — follow reported positions with their snapshot date.
For the latest available observations, open the dated daily cocoa market figures. This page explains how to use them; it is not a live exchange-price feed.
Four different kinds of cocoa market evidence
A useful snapshot combines these views without adding unlike measures together. For current observations and source dates, use the daily briefing.
Dates, units and baselines come first
Record both the period described by a figure and the date it became public. A weekly report can describe an earlier snapshot, while an updated web page can still contain the previous report. A page retrieval timestamp does not make the underlying observation new.
Three checks before calculating a change
- Use the same series. A warehouse total and a certified-stock figure are different measurements, even when both are expressed in bags.
- Use matching units. One 60 kg bag is 0.06 tonnes; apply that conversion only where the source confirms the bag basis.
- Name the comparison. Week-on-week, year-on-year and season-to-date changes answer different questions.
For illustration, a rise from 100 to 110 is 10%, but a return from 110 to 100 is about 9.1%. Neither calculation tells you whether the market expected the change. Missing observations should remain unavailable; replacing them with zero creates a false signal.
Why cocoa prices can disagree
A specific futures contract, a continuous chart, a physical transaction and a composite benchmark need not have the same price. The ICCO explains its composite daily-price methodology ↗. Identify the benchmark before assuming one provider is wrong.
Build a traceable cocoa market dashboard
Start with a question, such as whether reported supply is becoming more available. Check arrivals, warehouse stocks and processing demand separately, then note where their coverage differs. A port flow in one origin cannot establish the global balance by itself.
Keep a simple evidence record: metric, original publisher, report period, unit, current observation, comparable prior observation and revision status. When two sources disagree, retain their definitions and publication dates rather than averaging unlike figures.
From figures to a research routine
Use the supply-and-demand guide to organise the evidence and the public analysis feed for context. The database brings historical comparisons, supply research, positioning and a private trading journal into one workspace, helping you revisit the evidence behind a view.
The free preview shows selected figures and headlines after email verification. Full membership adds the broader research workspace; it does not guarantee complete source coverage, real-time prices or trading outcomes. Compare database access and pricing →
Common questions about cocoa market data
Where can I see current cocoa market figures?
The daily cocoa briefing shows the latest available stored observations with their own reporting dates and source links. It is public. A source may publish daily, weekly or quarterly; refreshing a page does not create a new report.
Does the COT report show today’s positions?
No. The CFTC describes COT as a breakdown of Tuesday open interest ↗. Keep that snapshot date separate from the release date. It cannot establish every participant’s motive or their position at the current moment.
Is a higher inventory number always bearish?
No single observation determines price. Check the stock definition, comparable reporting dates and expected change, then compare it with supply and processing evidence. A price outcome requires more context than a direction arrow beside a figure.
Reported data may be delayed or unavailable. Each figure retains its own reporting date. Research and education, not personalised investment advice.