Market Intelligence
Weekly Wool Market Commentary
Moses & Son is committed to providing our valued customers the most current information and data to empower your decision-making process. Discover our latest Australian wool market weekly update below, along with archived reports for your perusal and analysis.
2024-S31
Week S31: 30/1/2025: The AWEX EMI closed on 1,192c, up 6c at auction sales in Australia this week. 94.1% of the 33,436 bale offering was cleared to the trade with the Australian based Exporters dominating the series. The slightly lower offering coupled with the slightly lower AUD exchange rate was enough to overcome the possible negative threat from some operators sitting the week out due to the commencement of the Chinese New Year holiday. Sale days were modified to Tuesday Thursday leaving Wednesday sale free for the Chinese holiday schedule. This week’s market opened with little or no change on the first day increasing the EMI by 2c to 1188c. Thursday saw more vigour in the bidding as new orders drove the EMI up another 4c.
Merino Fleece
The results varied on the first day, with individual Micron Price Guides (MPGs) fluctuating between +11 and -29 cents. Thursday delivered a more positive indication that business had improved, with the merino MPG’s ranging from unchanged to +19 cents. The Northern Indicator rose 5 cents, driven by strong demand for FNF Best style lots over 35nkt, as buyers sought high-quality, well-prepared fleece wool. Select microns gained up to 10 cents, particularly those with superior style and strength, reflecting ongoing demand from processors seeking consistency and reliability. Despite fluctuations, the overall pass-in rate remained low, with just under 4% of fleece wool unsold, indicating solid competition in the market.
Merino Skirtings
Well-prepared broken lines with less than 3% vegetable matter (VM) firmed into sellers’ favour, benefiting from steady buyer interest and consistent demand. The skirtings solid performance reflects the knitwear market outperforming the Worsted (woven) market. Heavy faulted wool with more than 3.5% VM remained irregular, as buyers selectively targeted better-prepared lots. Skirtings containing heavy cott and jowls continued to attract discounts due to lower processing efficiency and increased handling requirements.
Merino Cardings
Crossbred Fleece
Prices for 26-to-28-micron fleece increased by as much as 32 cents, driven by a combination of low supply and consistent weekly demand. The limited availability of crossbred fleece in the auction system heightened competition among buyers, particularly for well prepared low VM lots and lots with low CV of fibre Diameter. This increase highlights the ongoing interest in crossbred wool, as demand for these microns remains stable across various sectors of the industry.
Crossbred Oddments
Locks and crutchings containing up to 8% VM sold in favour of sellers, with strong bidding for well prepared lots. Reports that there is a resurgence of Billiards in China has seen an increase in the production of felt cloth to cover the increase production of table production. Unfortunately, this is not a high volume not a high turnover market segment.
Crossbreds
Next Week
Looking Ahead: Next week’s offering increases to 38,361 bales being offered in Sydney, Melbourne, and Fremantle. The market will return to its normal Tuesday/Wednesday selling schedule. The recent upward trend in the EMI and solid competition expected to materialise across a wider range of wool types suggest continued market stability. For further insights or to discuss marketing opportunities, please reach out to our team. ~Marty Moses.
Market Commentary
Whilst the market has posted a strong start to 2025, rising in five of the six selling days this year and currently sitting 38 cents above its opening level. It is hard to identify a major change in the demand fundamentals. The markets performance is more than likely being aided by the Season-to-date offerings being down 16.8%, with 179,321 fewer bales put through the auction system compared to the previous season. Changes in the worlds GDP and Inflation indices are under intense scrutiny as the Trump Administration commenced delivering on their key election promises immediately when they took office. How the US import tariffs play out may have significant impact on markets over the next 6-12 months.