Vietnamese Textile Executives Tour U.S. Cotton Belt on COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 1, 2025 — Fourteen textile mill executives from Vietnam—the top export market for U.S. cotton— toured the U.S. Cotton Belt during a weeklong COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission and saw firsthand why U.S. cotton is “The Cotton the World Trusts.”

The COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission was designed to strengthen relationships between the Vietnamese textile sector and the U.S. cotton industry while highlighting the advantages of “The COTTON USA™ Difference” — superior quality, transparency and dependable supply.

The Vietnamese mills on this Special Trade Mission expect to purchase an estimated 400,000 U.S. cotton bales, representing about 14% of all U.S. cotton sales to Vietnam in the 2024/25 marketing year and 5% of Vietnam’s total cotton imports.

Vietnam is the largest importer of U.S. cotton in the 2024/25 marketing year. As of July 17, the U.S. has shipped a little over 2.9 million bales of raw cotton fiber to Vietnam during this period. Vietnam is also the world’s second-largest cotton fiber importer, with mills importing an estimated 7.8 million bales in the 2024/25 marketing year. 

“We’re honored to welcome leading Vietnamese textile mill executives to the U.S. Cotton Belt as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen trade partnerships and promote U.S. cotton,” said CCI Executive Director Liz Hershfield. “Vietnam is a vital trading partner, and this tour wasn’t just about showing the participants our superior product — it was also about building trust, deepening relationships and opening doors to future collaboration.”

During the COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission, Vietnamese executives met with U.S. cotton growers, exporters and industry experts, gaining firsthand insights into U.S. cotton’s quality, transparency and sustainability practices. They also toured key U.S. cotton locations across four states, including the Port of Savannah, Ga.; the USDA classing office in Memphis, Tenn.; and farms and gins in both Savannah, Ga. and Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Vietnamese executives also engaged with U.S. cotton organizations, including the National Cotton Council (NCC); ACSA; AMCOT; the American Cotton Producers; the Lubbock Cotton Exchange; the Texas Cotton Association; Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.; the Western Cotton Shippers Association; and Supima. 

“The COTTON USA™ Special Trade Mission gave some of our top Vietnamese partners a behind-the-scenes look at the innovation and dedication driving U.S. cotton forward,” said Hershfield. “It reinforced why U.S. cotton remains the most trusted fiber in the global market.”

About COTTON USA™: Cotton Council International (CCI) is the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council (NCC). CCI promotes U.S. cotton fiber, yarn and manufactured cotton products around the globe under our COTTON USA™ brand. With operations in more than 50 countries and nearly 70 years of global trade expertise, our mission is to make U.S. cotton the preferred fiber for mills, manufacturers, brands, retailers and consumers around the world. To learn more, visit: www.cottonusa.org.