MEMPHIS, Tenn. — COTTON USA’s trade and promotional services throughout the cotton blanket supply
chain in China has led to increased U.S. cotton sales. For the three Chinese brands involved, this
has resulted in sales of U.S. cotton fiber worth an estimated $590,000 at today’s prices.
Ibena Shanghai, a leading home textile supplier, approached CCI Shanghai about identifying
U.S. cotton yarn suppliers for blankets. Thanks to an introduction from CCI, a COTTON USA licensed
yarn manufacturer in China supplied Ibena with 117.6 tons of 100 percent U.S. cotton yarns.
In 2010, Ibena joined the COTTON USA licensing program with 70,000 pieces of 100 percent U.S.
cotton blankets, which pulled 470 bales of U.S. cotton through the supply chain. Ibena Shanghai
Technical Textile Co. Ltd is a subsidiary of Ibena Textilwerke GmbH, (Bocholt, Germany), a company
with a leading position in the international market for its home textile line.
As cotton blankets are becoming a hot item in the Chinese domestic market this year, Ibena’s
products labeled with the COTTON USA Mark are attracting interest from consumers. CCI Shanghai is
now working with Ibena to promote COTTON USA to their customers, further expanding the local demand
for products made of U.S. cotton.
After meeting with the top three Chinese home brands, CCI also recruited Luolai Home Textile
Co. Ltd. and Hunan Mine Home Technology Co., Ltd. to join the COTTON USA licensing program.
Luolai Home’s COTTON USA license covers 12,550 U.S. cotton blankets, which equates to about
90 bales of U.S. cotton.The COTTON USA Mark-labeled blankets are sold in 1,000 shops in China.
COTTON USA show card are displayed at each point-of-sale.
Hunan Mine Home Technology Co., Ltd. has also joined the COTTON USA Program, and has placed
an order for 10,000 U.S. cotton blankets, the equivalent of about 70 bales of U.S. cotton.
Posted on May 9, 2011
Source: Cotton Council International
