Bangkok--12 May--Verve
COTTON USA Expands the “Supply Chain Marketing” ProgramConnecting Buyers with US Cotton-Rich Suppliers to Make the ASEAN Textile Industry Soar to the World Market
COTTON USA aims to expand the “Supply Chain Marketing” (SCM) program in Thailand to include ASEAN member countries. The SCM program was initiated to connect international buyers sourcing for US rich cotton products with Thai spinners that were COTTON USA licensees. Following positive feedback from international buyers, the SCM program is expanding to cover ASEAN countries as a competitive sourcing destination for high quality cotton products that use high percentages of US cotton.
Mr. Kraipob Pangsapa, COTTON USA Thailand Representative, revealed that for the first project in 2010, COTTON USA cooperated with Thai textile mills, which utilized more than 50% US cotton in their yarns, to promote their yarns to ASEAN weavers, knitters and garment manufacturers that were sourcing for high quality U.S. cotton-rich yarns from Thailand. The SCM program has created opportunities for Thai textile manufacturers to expand their businesses and to increase their customer base. For example, the “2010 COTTON USA Yarn Buyers Tour to Thailand” program CCI recruited and brought yarn buyers with manufacturing facilities in Asia to meet with fourteen Thai textile mills in December 2010.
The latest activity was the 2011 COTTON USA Supply Chain Marketing Buyers Tour to Thailand that was recently held during the first quarter this year. COTTON USA brought twenty-seven global buyers and retailers from the US, Europe and Asia to Thailand to meet with US cotton textile and apparel suppliers from across Southeast Asia. To provide sourcing options for the brands and retailers, 39 COTTON USA licensed suppliers with production facilities in five countries across Southeast Asia traveled to CCI’s private trade fair in Bangkok where they promoted their U.S. cotton-rich fabrics and garments. The Buyers Tour incorporated a briefing session explaining the benefits of sourcing from Thailand and the ASEAN region, a two-day trade fair and tours to fabric and garment manufacturing facilities located on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The event provided opportunities for overseas buyers to meet the entire supply chain in one location. Suppliers of cotton yarn, knit fabrics and apparel and woven fabrics and apparel suppliers from across the ASEAN region gathered at the CCI event to streamline the sourcing process and reinforce long-term business for retailers, manufacturers and the cotton industry alike. Mills and manufacturers in the ASEAN region are taking proactive steps to cooperate and form alliances to serve the needs of the apparel buyer who buys fabrics or finished garments. This cooperation gives ASEAN suppliers a stronger competitive position than they had previously.
Suppliers at the trade fair indicated that the COTTON USA Buyers Tour provided a platform for them to meet new buyers from overseas markets and helped to enhance their business relationships with existing customers. Most participants expressed their confidence that contacts made during the trip would lead to developing business ties and consequently increase sales of U.S. cotton.
Kraipob further said, “COTTON USA estimated that in 2011, the program should double from 19 member mills to about 40 as the program expands to include spinners that use high percentages of U.S. cotton in ASEAN countries.”
The original COTTON USA SCM Program began in January 2000 when COTTON USA partnered with a group of U.S. textile mills to sponsor the COTTON USA Sourcing Program in the Caribbean Basin. In 2003, COTTON USA launched the Supply Chain Program bridging European, Japanese and American brands and retailers with quality U.S. cotton rich textile suppliers from across Asia, South Asia and the Andean region. In 2010, Thai and Turkish textile mills joined the program. For 2011, the Thai program will expand to include textile mills in the ASEAN member countries.
For further information, please contact: Verve
Amoltep Augsorn (Teun) Tel: 0-2204-8509
Benjaphorn Banjerdgit (Ben) Tel: 0-2204-8551