The delegation is set to go to Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh, between June 4th and 14th 

The Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (Abrapa) will fly a delegation to Asia to promote Brazilian cotton. The mission will visit current buyers and potential clients in the continent, with a view to exploring the uptrend in Brazilian lint production. For ten days the group made up of cotton farmers, lint exporters, Abrapa’s board members and representatives of member associations will travel through Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh, countries that buy Brazilian cotton. Combined, they account for 21% of the total volumes shipped to Asia in the 2020/2021 crop year, approximately 498.5 thousand tons of fiber. In year-to-date numbers for the 2021/2022 season (Aug/21 to April/22), those destinations maintain the percentage of foreign sales and total 313 thousand tons of Brazilian cotton. The trip starts on Saturday, the 4th, and will last through the 14th. 

Bangladesh was the fifth largest buyer of Brazilian cotton in the 2021/2022 season, totaling 165.9 thousand tons. Compared to the previous crop, 2020/2021, there was a decrease from 270.03 thousand tons to the current 165.9 thousand tons. Thus, it is worth mentioning the data that shows Bangladesh with potential to buy cotton from Brazil. The country is the second largest importer of lint in the world, but only 14% come from Brazil. 

Indonesia’s scenario is quite different. The country is the sixth largest destination of Brazilian cotton in the world and is importing 133.2 thousand tons of Brazilian lint in the current season. The numbers indicate that the country also has a market for Brazilian cotton, with the possibility of increasing imports, since there is no local production. The country’s cotton consumption totals 503 thousand tons. In the 2020/2021 crop year, Indonesia bought 207 thousand tons (the equivalent of 40% of its needs) from Brazil. 

Ninth largest destination of Brazilian fiber, Thailand imported 13.7 thousand tons of cotton from Brazil in the 2021/2022 season. Compared to 2020/2021, a drop of 7.73 thousand tons. This is yet another scenario with potential for growth for Brazilian cotton. 

“We have set agenda of priorities that will involve meetings with representatives from the countries’ textile industries, in addition to technical visits to local businesses. This is a way for us to promote and expand the market for the Brazilian lint”, says Abrapa’s president, Júlio Cézar Busato. The three countries were chosen because they are among the nine largest cotton markets in the world. According to Busato, the Brazilian cotton sector wants to get to know and understand the demands of its clients, evaluate growth potential in the region, and build relationships. “We will present the main advances in cotton in Brazil and show what is yet to come. We want long-lasting relationships with our potential customers”, he says. 

With a domestic consumption of approximately 740 thousand tons a year, Brazil is the second largest cotton exporter. In the last business year, the country accounted for 23% of all global cotton exports. 

 Learn more about the missions: The Sellers Mission is a traditional Abrapa initiative, created to increase the share of Brazilian cotton in the global market. The initiative is carried out in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the National Association of Cotton Shippers (Anea).