COTTON USA Embrace Nature, Choose Cotton

PREVIOUS TOUR REPORTS

Record number of buyers join the COTTON USA China sourcing tour

Despite global economic downturn and renewed industry interest to source from the Western Hemisphere, the record-breaking number of participants in CCI’s recent COTTON USA Buyers Tour to China reported a strong interest in sourcing from China. The weeklong event held in Shanghai attracted buyers representing European, U.S., Japanese, Indonesian, Thai and Chinese brands and retailers and was the fourth tour to China in 18 months.

The COTTON USA tour takes the hard work out of identifying suitable Chinese suppliers because CCI reviews companies to ensure they have the capability to provide quality, export-ready, U.S. cotton rich products. This has made the COTTON USA Supply Chain Marketing Buyers Tour to China an absolute must for those interested in sourcing U.S. cotton-rich garments and fabric from Chinese mills.

The week began with an extensive briefing session that included introductions to new cotton product developments from CCI’s sister company, Cotton Incorporated. The briefing session continued with a one-and-a-half-day trade show and two days of factory visits in Ningbo and Hangzhou, where the buyers inspected each company’s manufacturing facilities and U.S. cotton-rich wovens, denims, knitwear, sportswear and garments. The tour ended with a day’s participation at the Intertextile Shanghai trade show where buyers held follow-up meetings with the mills they met at the beginning of the tour.

Buyers had a great opportunity to see firsthand the types of merchandise available from China’s rapidly expanding textile industry. They can set up profitable, ongoing business relationships with suppliers of 100% cotton textiles and will also be able to establish links with garment producers who work closely with the fabric mills.

Gul Guler, Production Co-Ordinator at Ted Baker was one of the UK buyers to benefit from the tour: “The tour to China certainly lived up to expectations. It was extremely well organised and enabled me to meet with a wide range of trust-worthy suppliers. Visiting factories directly as well as having follow-up meetings with the mills we met at the beginning of the tour gave an unparalleled insight into the textiles markets.”

The tours are a significant element in CCI’s innovative Supply Chain Marketing Programme. As a non-profit trade association representing the U.S. cotton industry, its aim is to increase the use of American cotton around the world by developing new ways to help build business relationships between buyers and sellers of products containing U.S. cotton. In addition to its China tours, CCI has also taken leading UK, European and global brands to meet suppliers in countries such as Turkey, Vietnam, India and Pakistan.

As Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, CCI International Marketing Manager, explains: "The tours are an example of what CCI’s Supply Chain Marketing programme is all about. They bring together key buyers from the brand and retailing sector with mill suppliers to promote sales of quality products made with U.S. cotton."

"The tour to China, which is the largest importer of U.S. cotton and also the world’s biggest consumer at mill level, allows organisations in the supply chain to establish mutually beneficial relationships," she adds.