Page 24 - TEXtalks International October/November 2022

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International Cotton Advisory Committee

meeting “Driving Sustainability through

Innovation and Leadership”

The 80th Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee will be held from 29 November 2022
- 01 December 2022, through Virtual Platform. The theme of the meeting is “Driving Sustainability through
Innovation and Leadership”.

The ICAC executive Director Kai Hughes would present the report of the secretariat. Hughes is Executive
Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), based in Washington DC, USA. He is the 7th
Executive Director to be selected by member governments in the history of the Committee since
its formation in 1939.
Mathew Looney data scientist ICAC will throw light on the world cotton outlook 2022-23. Parkhi Vats, Trade
Analyst, ICAC will speak on cotton trade, Usman Kanwar, Head of Textiles, ICAC who is from Pakistan will
discuss the ICAC textile strategy. Ms Lorena Ruiz, Economist, ICAC will talk about Production and Trade
Subsidies Affecting the Cotton Industry. Paper on ICAC Research Support will be presented by Dr Keshav
Kranthi, Chief Scientist, ICAC.

Numerous presentations on different aspects of cotton and textiles will be presented by experts from different
cotton growing countries. From Pakistan the presentation would be about Proposals and recommendations
from the PSAC's Permanent Committee on Textiles. The presenter will be Muhammad Anees Khawaja,
Executive Member, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association.

Sri Lankan apparel industry seeks

market access to European Union

Sri Lankan apparel firms complain that they cannot compete on a level playing field with regional apparel
powerhouses like Vietnam, Thailand and Bangladesh, as Sri Lanka failed to obtain preferential access and
duty concessions enjoyed by its competitors.

In the last decade, Asian countries have understood the crucial value of Free Trade Agreements as a means
to liberalize trade and investment. Vietnam, for instance, adopted a growth trajectory in exports that correlates
closely with the FTAs entered by its government, and also makes necessary commitments
to ensure compliance.

The apex apparel trade body of Sri Lanka called the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has pleaded
with its government to expedite negotiations on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that provide global
competitiveness to its apparel exporters amid expected global recession.
The Island country is at risk to be left behind in trade benefits enjoyed by its competing economies in the
region like India, Indonesia, and Vietnam that are in advanced FTA negotiations with the European Union.
Indonesia has been looking for larger marketed access since 2016.

October/November 2022