Athens, Ga. (October 6, 2006) – U.S. retailers of organic cotton apparel will visit Ugandan textile and apparel manufacturers from October 19 to 29, 2006, to develop business linkages. The effort is part of a trade mission coordinated by the University of Georgia’s Office of International Public Service and Outreach and the International Trade Division of the Small Business Development Center as well as the East Africa American Business Council in Atlanta.

Representatives from five U.S. apparel companies will tour Ugandan textile and apparel plants, evaluate the quality of organic cotton yarn and apparel, and participate in a daylong conference on export readiness and the U.S. organic apparel market. This effort aims to help provide employment opportunities for Ugandans without displacing U.S. workers.

Uganda is well known internationally as a producer of high-quality organic cotton, which can be sold at a premium. The country produces large tonnage of organic cotton using natural predators and locally available botanical agents.

Currently, Western Europe is the largest importer of Uganda’s organic cotton. However, the U.S. market is an obvious possibility for growth, especially given Uganda’s eligibility for benefits under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides improved access to the U.S. market. Developing a niche market for organic cotton apparel in the U.S. is critical to the success of the Uganda’s apparel sector prior to the expiration of the third country fabric provisions of the AGOA legislation.

This trade exchange follows participation by six Ugandan apparel and textile manufacturers in a February 2006 trade show — the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Sourcing at MAGIC Marketplace — also coordinated by the same team in collaboration with the Uganda Investment Authority.

For further information please contact Dr. Glenn C. W. Ames, Director of International Public Service and Outreach at University of Georgia, ; Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Ugandan Investment Authority, ; or Mr. Patrick Ayota or Ms. Denise Midyette, East Africa American Business Council, Atlanta, Ga., at or .

Prospective buyers can view company profiles online by clicking here
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The trade mission participants include: Nicole Donnelly, Baby Legs, LLC; Kate Quinn, Earth Organic Baby Basics; Jennifer Leaphart, Baby Blend Tees; Guy Carpenter Cape Fear Apparel; and Robin Pearson, Lord & Robin Apparel.

Mr. Job Dieleman, international trade consultant, UGA’s Small Business Development Center; Ms. Robin Pearson, CEO and chief designer, Lord & Robin Apparel Company, Inc., Ellenwood, Ga.; Ms. Denise Midyette, EAABC; and Dr. Ian Hardin, professor of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors at UGA have provided training, marketing and coordination for the two-year project. Mr. Don Johnson, director, Dean Rusk Center for International Law and former chief textile negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has served as policy advisor to the project. Dr. Glenn Ames, Director of the Office of International Public Service and Outreach, has provided overall project coordination.

The Uganda project — Uganda and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): A Focus on Value-Added Textile Exports — is a U.S. State Department-funded project designed to build linkages between Ugandan apparel and textile manufacturers and U.S. importers, wholesalers and retailers. The Georgia connection is through a partnership between UGA and EAABC in Atlanta. The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) in Kampala is the project’s overseas partner.

This project was awarded to the University of Georgia by the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State under the ECA/PE/C open competition.

For more information see: “Uganda: Cotton Sector Tempts Investors Globally”
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This article was posted on Friday, October 6th, 2006 at 2:32 pm and is filed under Program News, News.