#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.

A Powerful Opening: Global thought leaders launch the International Cotton Conference Bremen

The International Cotton Conference Bremen will open on 25 March 2026 in the Parliament building of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen with a keynote session of exceptional calibre. Distinguished international experts will set the stage for the conference by offering incisive perspectives on the most pressing challenges and the defining trends shaping the future of the global cotton trade. Their insights will span a broad spectrum — from geopolitically driven disruptions affecting global supply chains to the opportunities emerging from innovation-led agriculture capable of supporting a growing world population. Together, these opening keynotes will frame the dialogue of the conference, highlighting both the complexity of today’s market environment and the pathways toward a resilient and forward-looking cotton sector.

Beyond Cotton: Natural Fibres in the Spotlight at the Bremen Cotton Conference - Branded by DNFI

Climate targets, fragile supply chains, and rising regulatory requirements are fundamentally changing the perspective of the textile industry - the focus is increasingly shifting toward the base material. Not only cotton, but natural fibres are gaining significant importance: they stand out not only because of their outstanding functional properties, but also because they make a valuable contribution to the bioeconomy and responsible product development.

Beyond the wardrobe – innovative cotton takes the spotlight

Cotton can do more – a lot more. Cutting-edge textiles and high-tech products made from 100% cotton prove just how powerfully performance and sustainability can come together. That very surge of innovation is front and centre at the 38th Bremen Cotton Conference, taking place March 25–27, 2026, at Bremen’s Parliament on the historic market square – culminating in a bold and dedicated closing session on Friday. In the spotlight: performance upgrades for pure cotton, smart strategies for circular textile waste solutions, and pioneering concepts for demanding technical applications. From natural fibre–reinforced composites to highly effective flame-retardant solutions, cotton steps out of the closet and shows the future potential woven into every fibre.

New U.S. cotton study uses real-world grower data to reveal where fiber impacts occur

Cotton Incorporated has released a critically reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) of U.S. cotton fiber production that examines how cotton’s environmental impacts are measured and where meaningful improvements can be made across the value chain. The new data, grounded in real‑world grower inputs, measures what drives U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint from field to gin.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

ECCO introduces first shoe featuring innovative protein-based fibre

ECCO, in partnership with Spinnova, announces the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilising an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.

SETEX turns dyeing and finishing data into daily production control

At ITM 2026, SETEX will show how textile mills can use machine, recipe, quality and energy data for more reliable daily production decisions — not as another reporting layer, but as part of the running dyeing and finishing process. With OrgaTEX X3 MES, E390x/C390x controllers, CamCOUNT and FabricInspector Portable, SETEX connects planning, machine execution and fabric-related quality insight within existing mill structures.

Fifteen years of Autoneum – From spin off to global technology leader

What started as a strategic carve‑out has since become the success story of a global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management solutions for vehicles. Headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, Autoneum supplies leading automobile manufacturers worldwide with innovative, lightweight and increasingly sustainable solutions.

Kruger, Canada, orders first nonwovens line for sustainable wipes from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from newly established Kruger Nonwovens to deliver a complete WetlaceTM hybrid line for the Wayagamack mill in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. With this investment, pulp and paper producer Kruger is preparing to enter the nonwovens market with a new generation of plastic-free, chemical-free materials for sustainable wipes. The line is the first of its kind in Canada and is scheduled to start production in 2028.