#Raw Materials

2024-06-27

Jean-Paul Haessig stays President of the Bremen Cotton Exchange

The Board of the Bremen Cotton Exchange confirmed Jean-Paul Haessig as President of the association on the occasion of the General Assembly on 21 June. Haessig is a director of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Singapore-based trading company Asian Cotton Traders PTE Ltd.

The Vice Presidents Fritz A. Grobien, Managing Partner of Albrecht, Müller-Pearse & Co. Trade (GmbH & Co.) KG, Bremen, Jens D. Lukaczik, Managing Partner of the service company Cargo Control Germany GmbH & Co. KG in Bremen and Stephanie Silber, Managing Director of Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen, will continue to serve as members of the Executive Committee.

President Haessig emphasizes: “I see a very challenging situation for the textile industry in Europe, but also globally. Contrary to our hopes, the global economic situation has remained tense overall and this is also having an impact on the textile industry. In addition, there are legal requirements, particularly from Brussels, which are putting a strain on supply chains. As the Bremen Cotton Exchange, we consider it as our task to ensure the greatest possible transparency for our members and also to represent the natural fibre cotton politically.”

Guest Speaker Professor Jean-François Gribomont

Jean-François Gribomont, CEO of the Belgian textile factory Utexbel NV, was invited to speak at this year's Annual General Meeting. In his role as President of the European textile association EUROCOTON, Gribomont reported on the current situation of the textile industry in Europe and the upcoming legislative projects at European level.

EUROCOTON - European Confederation of Cotton and Allied Textile Industries is the voice of the European textile industry for cotton and synthetic staple fibers, from cotton ginning to the production of yarns and fabrics from cotton and synthetic staple fibers. Due to the current relevance of the subject, a lively debate ensued among the participants, who shared their view of these developments from an entrepreneurial perspective.

Elections of the Board

The 150th Ordinary General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange in the 152nd year after the founding of the association approved the accounts, accepted the annual report of the Board of Directors for the fiscal year 2023 and unanimously granted discharge to the Board of Directors and management.

As usual, new elections to the Board also took place during the General Assembly. Henning Hammer, Otto Stadtlander GmbH, Bremen and Jan Kettelhack, Hch. Kettelhack GmbH + Co. KG, Rheine, retired from the Board as scheduled. Jan Kettelhack was newly elected to the Board. Peter Spoerry, Spoerry 1886 AG, Flums/Switzerland, resigned from the Board at his own request.

Further members of the Board are:

Hannes Drolle, Getzner Textil AG, Bludenz/Austria, Ernst Grimmelt, Velener Textil GmbH in Velen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Dr Uwe Mazura, General Manager of the Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, Berlin, Konrad Schröer, Setex-Textil-GmbH, Hamminkeln-Dingden, Roland Stelzer, Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co. KG, Bempflingen, and Axel Trede, Cotton Service International GmbH, Bremen. Advisory members of the Board are Manfred Kern from the Association of the Austrian Textile, Fashion, Shoe, and Leather Industry as well as Björn von der Crone from Swiss textiles association Swisstextiles.

A special feature of the Bremen Cotton Exchange: The members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee are mostly from companies from different areas of the cotton supply chain, such as trade, processing, and services. This gives the commodities association access to an extensive network and worldwide information resources within the global cotton sector and beyond in the textile industry.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen launches registration and unveils key topics

Participants can now register online for the 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, which will be held on 25-27 March 2026 at the Haus der Bürgerschaft parliament building on market square. All visitors can look forward to a high-calibre conference programme, numerous additional meetings and a valuable exchange of knowledge and information. The comprehensive range of topics covering the entire value chain will provide practical expertise, address current developments, answer key industry questions, and provide new impetus for the future.

151st General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange

Economic change and personnel decisions were the dominant themes on the agenda of the Annual General Assembly of the Bremen Cotton Exchange on 26 June 2025. During the meeting, the new Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the raw material association, which is now almost 153 years old, were elected. Fritz. A. Grobien will take over as President.

Human Rights Day: Cotton made in Africa reinforces its commitment to ensuring respect for human rights in cotton production

The sustainable cotton standard Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) has always focussed on respect for human rights, including by prohibiting child labour and discrimination. With the new version of the CmiA standard coming into force, AbTF raises requirements for due diligence in the areas of human rights and risk management.

How innovations drive BASF’s success

“Innovation has always been part of BASF’s DNA. Especially in these volatile times, it is crucial to leverage our innovative strength to develop competitive solutions that differentiate us as a company in our markets and give us a competitive edge,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and Chief Technology Officer, at the company’s Research Press Briefing held today. To achieve this, BASF implemented its “Winning Ways” strategy about a year ago with the clear goal of becoming the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation.

ICAC to collaborate with Uzbekistan and Bizpando on regenerative agriculture

The Government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares of land to implement a regenerative agriculture program for cotton as part of a collaborative project with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and Bizpando, a company with a a blockchain-based internet platform designed to ensure supply chain compliance.

World Cotton Trade declined 4.1% in 2024/25, according to ICAC's 2025 World Cotton Trade Report

Washington, DC — The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has released the 2025 World Cotton Trade Report, which covers trade developments in raw cotton since 1980. An annual publication, it provides analysis of world trade by region; import/export projections by country; matrices of trade flows; and seasonal estimates of export commitments to date.

SHIMA SEIKI returns to ShanghaiTex

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the ShanghaiTex 2025 exhibition (Booth No.: Hall N3, Booth A20) held in Shanghai, China this month. This marks the return of SHIMA SEIKI to ShanghaiTex after a 14-year hiatus, its last exhibit at the show having been in 2011.

Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” – Innovative solutions for circular product design

Composite materials made from different types of plastic often extend the lifetime of products but make recycling more difficult in the circular economy. That is why Fraunhofer CCPE has developed the “Monomaterial Design Set”. This new approach helps to reduce the variety of plastics used in durable products and offers circular solutions for designers and product developers.

arena introduces renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber in its latest swimwear collection

Italian swimwear specialist arena has unveiled a new collection that brings sustainability and performance even closer together. Launched on December 4, the line features swimsuits made from recycled nylon and renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber — the first time the bio-based spandex has been used commercially in swimwear.