ICE · News · 20260819N

Agricultural and Metals Demand

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. · 2026-08-19 · Importance 40 · Surprise 56

ICE’s global sugar markets reached record open interest of more than 2.3 million contracts, up 43% year over year and surpassing the prior record set in 2010. Growth was driven by ICE Sugar No. 11, the global benchmark for raw cane sugar, and ICE White Sugar. The broader agricultural complex also recorded significant increases in open interest and average daily volume, indicating stronger hedging activity among commodity-market participants.

Key facts

• ICE's global sugar markets hit record open interest of over 2.3 million contracts on August 14, 2026, up 43% year-over-year, surpassing the previous record set in February 2010. source
• The record surge in sugar open interest was primarily driven by activity in ICE Sugar No. 11 and ICE White Sugar and reflected shifting market fundamentals, including supply and demand imbalances and the impact of an El Niño forecast. source