COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, June 27, 2025 — Cotton Council International (CCI), in partnership with the Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAFSL), hosted a high-level industry roundtable in Colombo to explore the role of U.S. cotton in advancing Sri Lanka’s textile and apparel sector.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, delivered the keynote address to the audience of 33 leaders from 19 top manufacturers and brands, emphasizing the value of U.S.–Sri Lanka trade ties and the strategic importance of U.S. cotton in the region’s supply chain.

CCI Representative Peush Narang echoed Chung’s comments and gave an overview of the business-building opportunities U.S. cotton offers the Sri Lankan market, followed by remarks from Yohan Lawrence, Secretary of JAAFSL, on the sector’s global outlook and sourcing trends. Narang also presented an update on global cotton production and trade trends relevant to Sri Lanka’s textile trade.

“U.S. cotton can help Sri Lankan manufacturers stay competitive in a rapidly evolving global market,” Narang said. “The combination of using high-quality U.S. cotton, along with our COTTON USA™ services, data and intelligence, supports our global supply chain partners through increases in productivity, efficiency and profitability.”

The roundtable discussion further explored how high-quality U.S. cotton—backed by trusted global partnerships and performance-enhancing data—can drive innovation and growth in Sri Lanka’s textile and apparel industry. A key discussion expanded the focus on innovation to sourcing strategies and trade facilitation.

“The group’s strategic dialogue laid a strong foundation for future collaboration,” Narang concluded. “This roundtable highlighted promising opportunities to engage with Sri Lanka’s textile industry and support its continued growth through partnerships built around U.S. cotton.”