Dhaka, July 17 -- Direct cotton sourcing from US farmers could boost apparel exports to the United States amid rising trade tensions and tariff uncertainties, said Aswar Rahman, CEO of AmeriBangla Corporation - a platform connecting US farmers and Bangladeshi mills through fair pricing and a transparent supply chain - on Thursday.

Speaking at a trade meeting at the Westin Hotel in Dhaka, Rahman noted that American cotton farmers wield political influence through their Congressional representatives and senators from cotton-growing states.

Currently, the cotton sourcing process involves nine intermediaries from farmers to millers. The new initiative aims to enable direct cotton imports from American farmers, bypassing the merchant syndica...