Key textile executives from 12 Indonesian companies will tour the U.S. Cotton Belt May 11-17 to get a close look at U.S. cotton production, processing and marketing and to meet with U.S. exporters.

Indonesia is the fifth largest importer of U.S. cotton and U.S. export commitments to that country are 639,000 bales in the 2013-14 marketing year. The 12 companies represented on this trade mission collectively are expected to consume about 1.1 million bales of which about 406,000 bales, or 37 percent, will be U.S. cotton.

This COTTON USA Special Trade Mission is conducted by Cotton Council International and the National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm.

CCI President Jordan Lea, a South Carolina merchant, said, “Yarn spinning is migrating from China to other Southeast Asian markets and one of those is Indonesia. Indonesian spinners will become an even more important U.S. cotton industry partner in the future.”

Lea said the tour will offer an excellent opportunity to solidify relationships with these textile manufacturers and enhance future U.S. cotton purchases. He said that will be accomplished by educating these important U.S. cotton customers about U.S. cotton’s advantages and by bringing them face-to-face with U.S. cotton exporters.

The 16-member Indonesian delegation will begin its tour in New York with a CCI briefing and an ICE Futures seminar. They will see cotton research in North Carolina, tour the USDA cotton classing office in Bartlett, Tenn., and visit a farm in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

The group also will meet with exporters in the Cotton Belt’s four major regions and with these industry organizations:  the NCC, American Cotton Producers, Cotton Incorporated, American Cotton Shippers Association, Southern Cotton Growers Association, Texas Cotton Association, Plains Cotton Growers Association, Lubbock Cotton Exchange, AMCOT, Western Cotton Shippers Association and Supima.