Cotton USA, which promotes US cotton fibre and manufactured cotton products worldwide, announced that US cotton sales were boosted at the recent Cotton USA quality conference, held from September 13 to 15, 2017, in Belek, Turkey. It helped strengthen the business relationships between the 127 attendees from Turkish textile mills and US cotton merchants.
The 41 participating mills represented 74 per cent of 2016/17 US exports to Turkey, an estimated 1.1 million bales of US cotton. US exporters and textile mills reported sales of 113,528 bales of US cotton during the Cotton USA quality conference, valued at approximately $38.1 million. As a result of attending the event, textile mill buyers said they would likely purchase an additional 365,700 bales of US cotton during the next year, an estimated $122.9 million increase in sales.
Cotton Council International (CCI) president Eduardo Esteve said, “The Cotton USA quality conference gave us the opportunity to strengthen our commitment to supplying our important textile mill customers in Turkey with US cotton fibre, with an immediate sales impact. The entire US cotton industry—farmers, ginners, warehousers, merchants, classers, cooperatives, and manufacturers—is proud to be able to work together to create cotton fibre that is preferred for quality.’”
On post-event surveys, the majority (96 per cent) of respondents said they met their objectives for the conference, which included learning about the cotton market (the main objective for 72 per cent) and making new business contacts (the main objective for 54 per cent). Around 98 per cent of the respondents reported that they would recommend the Cotton USA conference to a colleague.
The Cotton USA quality conference gave “A Closer Look at US Cotton” and explored topics surrounding the use of US cotton in the Turkish textile sector, including changing world supplies and challenges in fibre competition. Speakers focused on the consistent quality and reliable supply of cotton grown in the US, as well as the sustainability, transparency, and premium value of US cotton and US cotton producers’ commitment to maintaining their strong relationship with the global cotton supply chain.
The Cotton USA quality conference featured esteemed speakers like Gary Adams, CEO, National Cotton Council; Bülent Alkanli, managing director, Perseus; Bruce Atherley, executive director, CCI; Eduardo Esteve, president, CCI; Seref Fayat, president, Turkish Apparel Manufacturers Association (TGSD); Kent D. Fountain, managing partner, Southeastern Gin and Peanut; Jeff Johnson, chairman, American Cotton Shippers Association; Marc Lewkowitz, president, Supima; Jarral T. Neeper, vice president, AMCOT; Ahmet Öksüz, vice president, Kipas Holding; and Ted Schneider, first vice president, Cotton Council International. (GK)