We have just launched a new membership category for agents, as part of our ongoing strategy to represent all sectors of the cotton supply chain.

“Last year we introduced a more inclusive membership structure to attract members from all links in the global supply chain,” says ICA President, Mr Antonio Esteve. “This has been a great success, with membership up by 54 per cent. I am very pleased that we are now in a position to extend ICA membership to agents.  
“Agents play a critical role in the supply chain and we believe that bringing them into the ICA community is a very important and positive step forward. Being an ICA member shows the cotton world that you support safe trading and contract sanctity. By trading with other ICA members you know that your counterparties also support these principles. As members, agents will be expected to uphold these principles and refrain from doing business with defaulters.”
The new membership category, which came into force yesterday (1 August 2012), costs US $1,000 to join and applications must be supported by existing Individual Members of the Association.
Mr Mehdi Ali is an agent based in Bangladesh and General Secretary of the BCA (Bangladesh Cotton Association). Having attended an ‘ICA Agent Training Course’ earlier this year, he is now keen to become a member: “An agent is like a bridge between buyer and seller. That is why it is important that we come under the ICA umbrella. We play a key role in the cotton trade and I welcome the move to introduce a new membership category specifically for agents. I am committed to the Association’s principles and I know that educated and responsible agents will play their part in supporting safe trading and contract sanctity.”