The International Cotton Association (ICA) is a trade association and arbitral body that operates on a not-for-profit basis in the commodity of cotton.
Formerly the Liverpool Cotton Association, it was formed in 1841 in Liverpool, UK, by a group of cotton brokers who created a set of trading rules to regulate the sale and purchase of raw cotton.[1]
The ICA is made up of member firms or individuals from the international cotton supply chain.
It is one of the founding members of CICCA (Committee for International Cooperation between Cotton Associations)[2] and has established partnerships with other global cotton associations including the China Cotton Association, Bremen Baumwollboerse[3] and the Gdynia Cotton Association.[4]
The ICA has two primary functions (the ICA Bylaws and Rules[5] and an arbitration service) and it provides support facilities that include training, trade events, networking forums and cotton testing through a joint venture company (ICA Bremen).
