Turkish textile mills expect to purchase an estimated 700,000 bales of additional U.S. cotton or cotton products in the next year as a result of attending Cotton Day Turkey on Oct. 28, the first in-person event hosted in the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Cotton Day, representatives from the American Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA), AMCOT, the American Cotton Producers and Supima met with over 100 representatives from Turkish textile mills at the conclusion of a weeklong COTTON USA Executive Delegation from Oct. 23-29.
Cotton Council International (CCI) hosted the COTTON USA Executive Delegation in Turkey due to the country’s importance in the global cotton and textile industry. In MY 20/21 Turkey was the 4th largest importer of cotton and expects to increase its cotton imports in the future. This represents an opportunity for U.S. cotton exports, especially after the Turkish government lifted an anti-dumping duty on U.S. cotton in April of 2021, making it easier for textile mills in the country to purchase the high-quality U.S. cotton they prefer.
As part of the trip, five U.S. cotton industry leaders, Tommy Hayden (LDC), Steve Williams (Jess Smith & Sons Cotton Co.), Donald Robinson (Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative), Marshall Hardwick (Hardwick Planting Co.) and Marc Lewkowitz (Supima), met with their counterparts in the Turkish textile industry during visits to Istanbul, Gaziantep and Adana, Turkey. The group met with the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exports Association, the Turkish Clothing & Manufacturer’s Association and influential textile mill owners to discuss the benefits of U.S. cotton. These meetings also gave the U.S. industry members an opportunity to hear directly from their customers the obstacles they face when using U.S. cotton in their products and learn about the market trends in Turkey that may impact U.S. cotton exports to the country in the future.
On the final day of the trip, the group celebrated Cotton Day in Adana, Turkey. Textile mill representatives, as well as agents of U.S. exporters, joined the group to learn more about the U.S. cotton industry and CCI. Presentations included: “Global Cotton Supply & Demand,” “U.S. Cotton Supply, Demand & Quality Update,” “U.S. Cotton Logistics Update,” “Supima Update,” “The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol,” “The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol®, A Grower’s Perspective,” and “COTTON USA SOLUTIONS Mill Mastery™ Course: The CCI Profitability Model.”
According to a survey conducted after the Cotton Day event, 84% of the participants were very satisfied with the event overall and 80% are very likely to recommend future Cotton Day events to their colleagues. As a result of attending, 93% of the textile mill participants expect to purchase additional U.S. cotton or cotton products in the next year.