Cotton Day Vietnam 2021, a forum on trends and solutions to help Viet Nam textile enterprises revive after COVID-19, will be held online on December 1.

The fifth annual event themed “Sustainability and Transparency You Can Trust” will be organised by the Cotton Council International (CCI) and the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) .

The event will include a seminar with presentations and updated information on the situation of the cotton industry in Viet Nam and the world, and trends and perspectives from the world’s leading brands and retailers relating to sustainable cotton.

It will also provide solutions that textile and garment companies in Viet Nam need to adapt to market demands after COVID-19.

Speaking at a press conference in HCM City on Monday, Vu Duc Giang, chairman of VITAS, said that, despite the pandemic, garment and textile exports in the first 10 months of this year reached US$32 billion, an increase of 10.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Fibre and yarn exports soared by 52.65 per cent year-on-year to $4.5 billion, but cotton imports reached more than $2.7 billion, a year-on-year increase of 41.86 per cent.

Giang said: “Cotton is still the priority of Vietnamese enterprises because it meets sustainable development goal.”

At the press conference, VITAS chairman Giang emphasised that international brands still had faith in Viet Nam.

He denied rumours spreading on social media about Nike and Adidas’s moving production out of Viet Nam, and said that as of October Nike had not moved any orders out of the Viet Tien General Garment Joint Stock Company.

Vo Manh Hung, CCI Representative in Viet Nam, said: “The world textile and fashion industry is making strong changes towards environmental protection and sustainable development. Brands are increasingly focusing on materials that are both fashionable and environmentally friendly. Cotton is a very good material for the environment.”

Cotton Day Vietnam 2021 will be organised on 6Connex platform from 8am-12pm on December 1.

Participants can register for the event at https://bit.ly/CottonDayVietnam2021Registration. — VNS