SOFTS-Arabica coffee slips from four-month highs while cocoa gains

NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Arabica coffee futures on ICE slipped on Thursday, with the market consolidating after hitting four-month highs this week, while cocoa closed higher.

COFFEE

* Arabica coffee KCc2 settled down 0.8 cent, or 0.2%, at $3.861 per lb, having hit its highest since early May at $3.9300 on Tuesday.

* "Coffee prices continue to rally, albeit at a slower rate, driven by U.S. tariff-induced market tightness, declining certified stocks, a downward revision in external forecasts of the 2025 Brazilian arabica harvest and fund buying," Rabobank said.

* It added, however, that the outlook for the 2026/27 arabica crop in top grower Brazil is promising and that this could have a significant impact on prices.

* A transition from El Niño-Southern Oscillation, ENSO, neutral to La Niña is likely in the next couple of months, with a 71% chance of La Niña during October to December.

* U.S. consumer prices increased the most in seven months in August, with tariffs boosting the price of coffee.

* Dealers noted that the question of whether U.S. President Donald Trump overstepped his authority in enacting tariffs will be put before the Supreme Court in November.

* Robusta coffee LRCc2 rose 1% to $4,521 a metric ton.

* Traders in top robusta producer Vietnam are upbeat about prospects for the coming crop, citing benign weather conditions, but the harvest in third-largest robusta producer Indonesia is being hampered by rain.

COCOA

* London cocoa LCCc2 ​settled up 26 pounds, or 0.5%, to 5,196 pounds per ton, having touched its lowest since July 21 at 4,980 pounds on Tuesday.

* Dealers said the market may have over-sold on the weak demand theme and could be somewhat concerned about the weather, especially with reports of black pod disease in West Africa.

* New York cocoa CCc2 rose 0.8% to $7,528 a ton.

SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 ​​settled down 0.11 cent, or 0.7%, at 15.82 cents per lb, still some way off a two-month low of 15.38 cents hit on Monday.

* White sugar LSUc1 fell 0.3% to $488.20 a ton.

* India will consider allowing sugar exports only after ensuring that output from the 2025/26 season fulfills local consumption and meets the requirement for ethanol production, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said.