December 2026 cocoa futures were quoted at $5,901 per metric tonne at 08:48:00 UTC (14:18:00 IST) on September 16. The fresh CCZ26.NYB delayed reading was $22, or 0.37%, below the same contract’s September 15 close of $5,923.
Below two consecutive closing references
The contract-specific daily history recorded $6,023 on September 14 and $5,923 on September 15. Tuesday’s close was therefore $100 lower, a decline of 1.66%. The latest reading added a further $22-per-tonne difference relative to that close.
Measured directly against Monday’s $6,023, the new quote was $122 lower, or approximately 2.03%. That two-reference comparison is distinct from the latest 0.37% change. It does not mean prices declined continuously or establish that the next closing settlement will also be lower.
The observation was shortly after the start of the U.S. cocoa trading session: ICE lists New York trading from 04:45, and the quote was timestamped 04:48 local time. It should therefore be read as an early-session indication, not a completed day’s result.
A bulk cocoa contract, not a retail price
ICE’s standard cocoa contract covers 10 metric tonnes and is quoted in dollars per tonne. At $5,901, its notional value is $59,010. The $22-per-tonne decrease translates to $220 per standard contract before costs, with opposite effects on long and short positions; this is not the margin requirement.
The contract permits physical delivery of exchange-grade cocoa to designated U.S. locations. Farm-gate prices and chocolate retail prices include different quality, processing, freight and commercial terms, so they need not move by the same percentage.
Later reports should compare the December contract with dated arrivals, inventories and processing evidence before naming a catalyst. AI assistance supported research and arithmetic. The quotation is delayed; leveraged futures carry substantial risk, and this report provides no investment recommendation or price forecast.