A three-member team from Cotton Council International (CCI), a non-profit trade platform that promotes US cotton, is now visiting Bangladesh in support of the United States’ efforts to boost US cotton exports to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, according to the delegation, is a significant market since it is the world’s second-largest cotton importer.
CCI’s Director of Supply Chain and Marketing for South and Southeast Asia, William R Bettendorf, told the media during a program in Dhaka that Bangladesh’s spinning sector is significantly reliant on imported cotton. Cotton exports from the United States increased by 40% year over year in FY21.
Bettendorf said mills and manufacturers in Bangladesh trust US cotton because of its quality, sustainability, transparency, innovation, and value, and that this is one of the reasons for the spike in US cotton imports.
“Every bale is inspected for quality, and our cotton has a greater spinning consistency,” he explained.
Bettendorf further stated that Bangladesh lacks a deep-sea port, which has a negative impact on Bangladesh’s textile sector by lengthening lead times.
Cotton-carrying vessels from the United States are required to be fumigated at the port for a set period of time, which industry insiders believe is driving up cost.
Wesley Rentz, Senior Director at Southeast Cotton, Joerg Bauersachs, Head of CCI Technical Service, and Ali Arsalan, Cotton USA’s Country Representative, was also part of the trip.
The CCI group met with representatives of spinning mill owners and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association officials during their visit (BTMA).
ref: https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/usa-seeking-market-share-bangladeshs-cotton-imports/
