Cocoa futures declined on Thursday with September ICE NY cocoa closing down 73 dollars at a 1.41 percent loss and September ICE London cocoa down 92 dollars at a 2.33 percent loss, pressured by easing supply concerns. Cumulative data from Ivory Coast showed farmers shipped 2.11 million metric tons of cocoa to ports in the current marketing year through July 26, up 21 percent from a year earlier, while Nigerian cocoa exports rose 30 percent year-over-year to 18,922 metric tons in June. ICE cocoa inventories climbed to a two-year high of 3,375,119 bags on Tuesday, adding to the bearish tone. On the demand side, second-quarter European cocoa grindings fell 4.6 percent to 316,366 metric tons, a six-year low, but North American grindings unexpectedly rose 7.7 percent and Asian grindings jumped 25 percent, partially offsetting demand fears. StoneX cut its 2026/27 global cocoa surplus estimate to 25,000 metric tons from 149,000 metric tons, citing El Niño risks, while early Ivory Coast crop surveys point to below-average pod formation and a potential 18 percent drop in the main harvest to 1.8 million metric tons, though recent pod counts have improved.