Cotton subsidies are a constant theme of discussion

Cotton is also subsidised in Europe. On the basis of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Greece and Spain receive subsidy payments. For the 2006/07 season, a new regulation came into effect. Under this new regulation, producers were to receive 65 percent of the EU subsidies as a de-coupled payment, i.e. not dependent on production. 35 % was to be given in the form of area payments. According to the WTO valuation system, which divides internal subsidy measures into colours, this meant a move away from the most trade distorting subsidy measures (Amber Box) to a less trade distorting form (Blue Box). ...

More information in our Cotton Report No. 29/30

Renewed Cotton Standards from Uganda

On 15 July, 2010 Mr Patrick Ilukat, Principal Classifier of the Cotton Development Organisation, Kampala, Uganda, in the arbitration room of the Bremen Cotton Exchange presented a set of renewed cotton standards of the BPA qualities

UCON, UCOB, UCOP, UCOA, UCOM – rollerginned
and UCOSA I, and UCOSA II – sawginned.

In a conversation with the members of the Committee for Standards, for the Determination of Value Differences and for Price Quotations the actual cotton situation and perspectives in Uganda and other issues of mutual interest were discussed.

Fresh Set of Universal Standards

On 05 July, 2010 the Bremen Cotton Exchange received from USDA, Memphis, Tenn. / U.S.A. Key-Set # 4 Universal Standards for Color and Leaf of American Upland Cotton, valid until 30 June, 2011.

11 Good Middling White Color / Leaf Grade 1
21 Strict Middling White Color / Leaf Grade 2
31 Middling White Color / Leaf Grade 3
41 Strict Low Middling White Color / Leaf Grade 4
51 Low Middling White Color / Leaf Grade 5
61 Strict Good Ordinary White Color / Leaf Grade 6
71 Good Ordinary White Color / Leaf Grade 7
23 Strict Middling Spotted Color
33 Middling Spotted Color
43 Strict Low Middling Spotted Color
53 Low Middling Spotted Color
63 Strict Good Ordinary Spotted Color
34 Middling Tinged Color
44 Strict Low Middling Tinged Color
54 Low Middling Tinged Color

Bremen Cotton Exchange Elects New Presidency

The Bremen Cotton Exchange held its 136th ordinary General Assembly in its 1386th fiscal year on June 24, 2010. The General Assembly elected its new Presidency and accepted the Annual Report 2009 containing the activity report of the Cotton Exchange as well as a detailed analysis of the global cotton market including numerous statistics and pictures.

Jens D. Lukaczik (44, photo), managing partner of Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co.KG, Bremen, was nominated President succeeding Wolfgang Vogt-Jordan.

Fritz A. Grobien (52), Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH &Co.) KG., Bremen, was nominated Vice-President.

The honorary chair is elected for a period of two years at most according to the by-laws of the Bremen Cotton Exchange.

Successful 30th International Cotton Conference Bremen

The 30th International Cotton Conference took place from March 24th to 27th in Bremen. The Bremen Cotton Exchange and the Fibre Institute Bremen welcomed almost 500 guests from 41 countries.

A felicitous conference agenda with speakers who reflected the cotton industry and the textile chain from very different perspectives, e.g. from the trade point of view, the cotton production, the sustainability or the processing industry, officially ended on Saturday with an Open Day at the Cotton Exchange.

The next Conference will take place in 2012.

Photos of the Conference can be found right here:

http://www.schiffler-fotodesign.de/galeries/Cotton_Conference_2010/

Shaping the Future – the Largest Cotton Expert Conference in the World

The 30th International Cotton Conference will take place from March 24 – 27, 2010. For almost a week the world of cotton will travel to Bremen. Worldwide high-ranking experts from cotton production, trade, spinning, weaving and, last but not least, the textile industry, will meet in the Bremen Town Hall. Research will be represented numerously as well: More than 50 years ago the Cotton Conference began as scientific forum having developed to the largest event for cotton testing methods in the world since.

The visitor will be received with a comprehensive agenda offering interesting aspects to both, cotton merchant as well as researcher. The current issues concerning cotton production, trade, and cotton processing will be discussed: Sustainability, global cotton production, a look at individual countries and the various situations in those regions, genetic engineering - which is a very explosive matter especially in Europe, cotton as commodity and, last but not least, the core of the conference agenda: cotton testing techniques.

What are the influences on cotton production and processing, which long-term trends are to be expected? Dr. Terry Townsend, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Washington, will give a speech on the influence of commodity-prices, electronic futures trade and the global economy.

Wolfgang Grupp, owner of Trigema, will talk about Germany as a location and his business philosophy as a successful textile entrepreneur. Andy Salm of Organic Exchange will give an overview on the status quo of organic cotton and explain the possibilities of integrating sustainable aspects in textile supply strategies. Adidas has come this far already: Karin Ekberg will report on the sustainable business strategy of this globally operating manufacturer of sporting goods from Herzogenaurach.

What’s the news on cotton production in Africa, Brazil, China and India? Several speakers from the respective regions will provide us with an impression on the situation in their country.

The technical agenda of the conference also comprises the issue sustainability: What experience has a spinner gained from utilizing organic cotton? The agenda also includes the development of fibre testing and online-applications as well as the presentation of current spinning processes.

The latest speaker who was won over to the conference is Henrik Lampa from H&M who will talk about organic cotton in his company.

Further information and the the complete conference agenda can also be found here on our website with constant updates.

Discover Natural Fiber Initiative founded

The member organizations of the IYNF (International Year of Natural Fiber) Steering Committee will continue their co-operation as the DNFI (Discover Natural Fiber Initiative) beyond the year 2009. The decision to continue working together closely was the result of an IYNF committee review meeting held in Frankfurt in January 2010. DNFI is an alliance of key international natural fiber associations/organizations including the Bremen Cotton Exchange, Cotton Council International (CCI), International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Industrieverband Garne - Gewebe - Technische Textilien eV. (IVGT), International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and many others. Henrik Kuffner, Director General of IWTO, was elected as committee chair for the year 2010.

The main intent of the International Year of Natural Fiber 2009 was to raise the awareness and profile of natural fibers, including cotton, and emphasize their value to the global consumers and to society while helping to sustain farmer income. Natural fibers, including cotton, are key economic contributors. The DNFI will build on the achievements of the IYNF 2009 and keep the cooperation between the many different natural fiber organizations going.

Cotton is a natural, renewable and biodegradable resource; cotton is the largest natural fiber in the global fiber, textile and apparel economy, now representing roughly 80 percent of all natural fibers consumed. Cotton represents hundreds of billions of dollars of economic activity and globally employs hundreds of millions of people from field to fabric.

Shaping the Future – 30th International Cotton Conference from March 24 – 27, 2010

The preparations for the 30th International Cotton Conference are running at full speed. Cotton experts from all over the world will be meeting at the Bremen Town Hall in about eight weeks.

On the agenda are sustainability, global cotton production, a look at individual countries and the various situations in those regions, genetic engineering - which especially in Europe is a very explosive matter, cotton as a commodity and, last but not least, the core of the conference agenda: cotton testing techniques. Again, it is a comprehensive agenda covering the current issues concerning cotton production, trade and cotton processing.

What are the influences on cotton production and processing, which long-term trends are to be expected? Dr. Terry Townsend, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Washington, will give a speech on the influence of commodity prices, electronic futures trading and the global economy.

Wolfgang Grupp, owner of Trigema, will talk about Germany as a location and his business philosophy as a successful textile entrepreneur.

Andy Salm of Organic Exchange will give an overview on the status quo of organic cotton and explain the possibilities of integrating sustainable aspects into textile supply strategies. Adidas has come this far already: Karin Ekberg will report on the sustainable business strategy of this globally operating manufacturer of sporting goods from Herzogenaurach. What’s the news on cotton production in Africa, Brazil, China and India? Several speakers from the respective regions will provide us with an impression of the situation in their country.

The technical agenda of the conference also comprises the issue of sustainability: What experience has a spinner gained from utilising organic cotton? The agenda also includes the development of fibre testing and online applications, as well as the presentation of current spinning processes.

The complete conference agenda can also be found here on our website, with constant updates. Of course, we will also be pleased to answer any of your questions concerning the 30th International Cotton Conference at any time. It is possible to enrol online as well as per fax, letter or e-mail.

Welcome to Bremen!

New Standards from Argentina

The Bremen Cotton Exchange was furnished with a renewed set of cotton standards from Argentina on 20 October, 2009. The standards were prepared by the Cámara Algodonera Argentina and the
Centro de Clasificadores de Algodón de la Republica Argentina under supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Set No. 5 consists of the boxes GRADO B, C, C-½, D, D-½, E, and F.

Cotton Testing Lab back at Bremen Cotton Exchange

The cotton lab of the Bremen Fibre Institute FIBRE e.V. was relocated to the premises of the Bremen Cotton Exchange in April 2009. Employees of the Fibre Institute also moved into an office on site ensuring permanent availability. The main contact person concerning cotton and wool testing is Mrs Tanja Slootmaker.

The available equipment in the new laboratory at the Cotton Exchange comprises:
- HVI 1000 (Uster) and ART (Premier Evolvics): Both testing instruments are able to measure length, micronaire, strength, colour, degrees of contamination and maturity
- aQura (Premier Evolvics)) for the determination of length distribution, the short fibre content, fibre neps and seed coat neps
- AFIS (Uster) for measuring length values, neps, fibre diameter
- Graf-Test to detect stickiness

The following equipment is in use for wool testing: Airflow (WIRA), OFDA (BSC Electronics), Almeter (Peyer), Top tester (Textest).

Chemical analysis like e.g. the determination of the residual grease content of wool, testing with the scanning electron microscope, bast fibre testing as well as single fibre testing remain continuously at the university building IW3.

An open day will be arranged soon, the date will be announced in due time.

Contact:

Wool/Cotton Lab
Tanja Slootmaker

FIBRE e.V.
c/o Bremer Baumwollbörse
Rm. 409
Wachtstr. 17-24
28195 Bremen

Tel.: +49 421 33970 -17/ 33970 -20

Sudan Barakat Standards Renewed

Mr. Azhari Osman El Tahir, Manager of Classification and Cotton Testing, The Sudan Cotton Company Ltd., Khartoum, Sudan, presented in the arbitration room of the Bremer Baumwollbörse the renewed cotton standards for the Sudan Barakat variety on 28 January 2009. The standards are valid for the 2007/08 crop. Members of the Committee for Standards and for the Determination of Value Differences, as well as invited cotton classers from trading firms reviewed the standards after they had been informed about the actual cotton situation in Sudan in a committee meeting.

The Barakat standards of the grades GB, G2B, G3B, G4B, G5B, G6B and CG6B may be inspected in the arbitration room of the Bremer Baumwollbörse.