In the cotton universe, no country draws more interest than China. As the world’s largest cotton producer, consumer and importer, its influence on the cotton and textile industries is already unparalleled–and still growing.
Tianjin, a coastal city southeast of Beijing, is becoming an increasingly important city in China’s cotton industry. First, some of the city’s major cotton industry players have been especially visible at meetings and industry trade shows. For example, a major Tianjin delegation traveled to the United Arab Emirates to attend the International Cotton Association’s Dubai 2011 event in March. The delegation—which included Yu Juan Bi, CEO of the Tianjin Cotton Exchange Market (TCEM), Xiqin Wang, General Manager and Board Chairman of Tianjin Victory Group Garments Co.; Ashley Tong, General Manager of Corporate Banking at Guangdong Development Bank; and Baoqin Cao, Chairman of Tianjin Cotton Association–met there with Gary Fitzgerald, CEO of Meister Media Worldwide, parent company of Cotton International magazine (see photo below).
In addition, Tianjin is located in a Free Trade Zone, a special area that is “within China’s territory but outside Chinese customs,” Yu Juan says. In March, TCEM signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Uzbek Trading Company, part of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade.
The two companies plan to create a joint venture for spot sales of Uzbek cotton through Tianjin’s Free Trade Zone. It is expected that China will buy up to 100,000 tons of Uzbek cotton lint through TCEM each year.
TCEM ofrece a los participantes del mercado nacional consultas de información, inspección de calidad, despacho de aduanas, almacenamiento de carga, logística y asistencia financiera. Ha acortado el período de compra internacional de algodón de tres meses a tres días, lo que ha convertido el sofisticado proceso de compra internacional de algodón en un comercio al contado simplificado, directo y conveniente.
TCEM se fundó en 2004 con Joyfair Holding Corp. como propietario principal (55 por ciento de las acciones). Joyfair ha integrado varias divisiones, incluida TCEM, para crear una corporación multisectorial con la industria textil en el centro.
Para leer más noticias sobre el algodón, visite el Sitio web de Cotton International.