SOFTS-New York cocoa closes up 1.1%, arabica coffee also up

SAO PAULO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - New York cocoa futures closed up 1.1% on Thursday after climbing to a five-week peak earlier in the session, where it registered gains primarily on the back of speculative buying partly linked to its inclusion in the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) for 2026.

COCOA

New York cocoa CCc2 ​​settled up $67, or 1.1%, at $6,288 per metric ton after earlier hitting a five-week high of $6,475.

Cocoa was removed from the BCOM in 2005 and its return is set to lead to a large volume of buying.

"ICE (New York) cocoa is set to encounter the most significant index rebalance buying by far at more than 27,000 contracts, or 22% of aggregate open interest, as of writing," J.P. Morgan said in a preview of the BCOM rebalance.

The potential for a slowdown in port arrivals in Ivory Coast during the first quarter of 2026 could also support prices, although the upside continued to be curbed by weak demand.

London cocoa LCCc2 closed up 0.1% at 4,497 pounds per ton after setting a five-week high of 4,625 pounds.

COFFEE

Robusta coffee LRCc2 declined $31, or 0.7%, to close at $4,107 a ton following earlier growth, but remained above the 2-1/2 month low of $4,046 set on Wednesday.

Dealers said the harvest in top robusta producer Vietnam was slowly picking up after delays caused by storms and floods.

"New beans have started to hit the market but not many," said a trader based in Vietnam's coffee belt, adding that the quality of beans was not bad.

Arabica coffee KCc2 closed up 1% at $3.762 per lb.

SUGAR

Raw sugar SBc1 ​settled down 0.06 cents at 14.85 cents per lb.

Dealers said the market was underpinned by reports that Thai farmers may reduce cane plantings and switch to cassava in response to low prices.

White sugar LSUc1 closed down 0.4% to $424.20 a ton.