CCI Maximizing U.S. Cotton Product Export Opportunities in Andean Region

MEMPHIS – Thanks to Cotton Council International (CCI), U.S. cotton is gaining widespread exposure in South America’s Andean Region – a rapidly emerging market important to U.S. cotton product export success.

CCI, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the export promotion arm of the Memphis-based National Cotton Council. It is dedicated to supporting U.S. cotton and U.S. cotton products.

Through CCI’s COTTON USA Sourcing Program, the "Andean Sourcing Fair," the first Sourcing Program fair in that region, will be held in Lima, Peru March 11-13.

The Sourcing Program also is sponsored by Cotton Incorporated and participating U.S. textile manufacturers, and is supported by USDA. The purpose is to create stronger business ties between the U.S. manufacturers and overseas apparel makers seeking to purchase yarn and fabric from these U.S. mills. Eighteen U.S. mills are planning to participate in the Peru fair.

Participating U.S. mills include: Alice Mills, Ameritex Yarn, Arca Knitting, Buhler Quality Yarn Corp, Carolina Cotton Works, Cheraw Yarn Mills, Four Leaf Textiles, Frontier Spinning Mills, Harriet & Henderson Yarns, National Textiles, Parkdale Mills, R.L. Stowe Mills, Ramtex, Spectrum Dyed Yarns, Swift Spinning, TNS Mills and Tuscarora Yarns.

CCI initiated its COTTON USA Sourcing Program events in the Andean Region to take advantage of the Andean Trade Partnership and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA).

"The Sourcing Program is a tremendous market building tool for U.S. cotton products," said Bobby Carson, a Marks, MS, cotton producer who is serving as CCI President for 2003. "The program is helping stimulate more demand for U.S. raw cotton."

More than 50 apparel makers from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru will be exposed to U.S. yarn and fabric through the Peru event.

The Sourcing Program is designed to build and strengthen closer relations between the U.S. textile industry and the Andean Region apparel manufacturing sector through a series of events such as seminars and private trade fairs. These seminars will include presentations by leading experts dealing with major issues such as contacts abroad, how to become a full package manufacturer, how to analyze and evaluate U.S. yarn and fabric prices as related to ATPDEA customs duties and quota benefits, details about implementation of ATPDEA, financing of yarns and fabrics eligible under ATPDEA and more.

Following the seminars, private trade fairs will offer the Andean apparel makers previously arranged and scheduled meetings with U.S. yarn and fabric suppliers.

CCI’s Sourcing Program also will participate in future trade fairs within the region and others in the United States. Bulletins with updated information about details of various activities of interest in the region, full package manufacturing and technical information about the advantages of using U.S. cotton will be sent to business executives and Sourcing Program members and participants.

Vaughn Jordan, CCI’s international program director, said the Peru event comes on the heels of another successful CCI COTTON USA Sourcing Program event in the Andean Region - Colombiatex 2003.

Held in January in Medellin, Colombia, that event enabled 13 U.S. cotton textile manufacturers to display their high quality yarns and fabrics for the Andean Region’s knitting, weaving and apparel manufacturing sector. Those participating included: Alice Mills Inc., American & Efird, Inc., Buhler Quality Yarns Corporation, Cheraw Yarn Mills, Inc., Frontier Spinning Mills, Harriet & Henderson Yarns, Inc., National Textiles, LLC, R.L. Stowe, Inc., Parkdale Mills Inc., Spectrum Dyed Yarns, Swift Spinning Mills and Tuscarora Yarns, Inc.

The event also included a series of fashion presentations by Cotton Incorporated that included discussions on color trends, autumn-winter fashion trends for 2003/2004 and fabrics and silhouettes.

"Colombiatex facilitated a valuable exchange between the U.S. cotton textile industry and the Andean garment makers," Jordan said. "The Andean Sourcing Fair is a logical next step, and CCI will continue to look for other opportunities in this promising market."