From Cotton to Markets, Regional Cooperation for Eastern and Southern as well as central and Western Africa.

ITC "Cotton Exporter’s Guide" contains pragmatic and operational information on the international cotton market and its requirements, with practical help to the producer and trader. Specific sections include market requirements in emerging markets as well as the knowledge required to enter these new markets.

Assisting African cotton exporters to retain trade in cotton as a means for economic development and poverty reduction. The training focuses on improving the export performance of cotton producers by raising productivity, strengthening their marketing skills and fully complying with buyers’ requirements. ITC makes this training available to various African cotton manufacturers and exporters in close coordination and association with cotton training institutions and ministries of key developing countries such as India and China.

By partnering with premier institutions in major developing countries, ITC helps participants from other developing countries develop tailor-made projects to improve their cotton, textiles and clothing sector competitiveness. As future growing markets are found in other developing countries, South-South trade development becomes increasingly important for the T&C sector.

ITC brings together the government, clothing sector associations and enterprises with the help of a 10-step structured thinking process. Stakeholders who follow the steps will be able to assess and diagnose their industry’s value chain, define problem-solving actions, and exploit export and sourcing opportunities. There is a two-workshop process conducted under ITC supervision, which also assists in strategy implementation.

Understanding the business perspective of product design and development for textile and clothing manufacturers. Much of what the buyer arranged in the past, the supplier is required to provide today. However, most SMEs in this sector concentrate on the end of the supply chain by offering only garment-manufacturing facilities. Therefore to fill this gap, ITC has developed a modular industry focused training course on product design and development for existing manufacturers and exporters in the industry.

Competitively priced material inputs are essential for producing marketable products. We help enterprises to develop the skills needed to start material sourcing. A material-sourcing textbook (Source-it) includes training on sector specific good practices, as well as on-the-job training on how to identify and evaluate material suppliers.

A business guide accompanied by a modular training course on e-applications used in the T&C sector (Get connected) provides an overview of technology developments and ‘e’ requirements of the major international buyers. The findings are disseminated through our training course "Adopting e-applications in the textiles and clothing sector". In addition, advice and training on how to adapt to these new requirements and the development of tailor-made solutions are provided.

With the help of a modular training course, ITC trains SMEs in the textiles and clothing sector on the various elements required to enable them market their products effectively and assists them in market diversification, niche marketing approaches and branding. Moreover, ITC guides companies to find clients in newly emerging markets (for example in China and India) in addition to traditional markets.

Structure:
 

• Requirements of a changing industry and market
• ITC’s approach to address market/buyer requirements
• ITC Training Modules

1. Material Sourcing
2. Product Development and Design
3. “e” Business Solutions along the Value Chain
4. Export Strategies & Marketing
5. Supply Chain Management

The Guidebook "Clothing demand from emerging markets" contains detailed information on major emerging markets for clothing exports. These include, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa. Each country chapter contains information such as market size, growth potential, market entry requirements, important and key contact points, major retailer and buyer profiles. In addition to this, the ITC website provides business information, data analysis and answers to most of the uncertainties faced by those in the T&C sector.

The quota phase-out for the textiles and clothing sector as well as the cotton subsidy issue have important implications for the global business environment. We provide sector-specific analysis on the implications and advise on the ongoing (agricultural and non-agricultural) trade negotiations.