The conference was organized jointly with the

• July 19, 2022

This COTTON USA Special Trade Mission is coordinated by Cotton Council International (CCI), the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) export promotions arm.

With total cotton consumption estimated at 11.1 million bales in 2021-22, Pakistan is the third largest cotton consuming country after China and India.

This trade mission’s participating companies collectively consume about 4.4 million bales annually. For the 2021-22 marketing year, U.S. cotton export sales (as of mid-July) to these tour participants is 1.5 million bales.

CCI President Carlos Garcia, a Texas cooperative executive, noted that many of the mills on this tour have expansion plans, so the COTTON USA Special Trade Mission “is an ideal opportunity to grow U.S. cotton sales now and in the years ahead in this important market. We also want these textile executives to see firsthand U.S. cotton’s first-class production and processing operations and efforts on environmental responsibility and continuous improvement.”

The Pakistan delegation will begin its tour in Savannah, Ga., with briefings from CCI and Cotton Incorporated staff before touring the Port of Savannah and a local cotton farm. Later, they will tour the USDA cotton classing office in Bartlett, Tenn., and visit a cotton farm, gin and warehouse in South Texas.

The group also will meet with exporters in the Cotton Belt’s four major regions and with these other industry organizations: AMCOT; American Cotton Producers; American Cotton Shippers Association; Southern Cotton Growers; Lubbock Cotton Exchange; the NCC; Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.; Texas Cotton Association; Western Cotton Shippers Association; and Supima.