Dhaka, July 18 -- Direct cotton sourcing from US farmers could boost apparel exports to the country amid rising trade tensions and tariff uncertainties, said a Bangladeshi-born American entrepreneur on Thursday.

American cotton farmers wield political influence through their Congressional representatives and senators from cotton-growing states, said Aswar Rahman, chief executive officer of AmeriBangla Corporation, a platform connecting US farmers and Bangladeshi mills through fair pricing and a transparent supply chain.

He made the statement at a high-level trade meeting held at The Westin Dhaka.

The cotton sourcing process currently involves nine intermediaries from farmers to millers, he said.

But AmeriBangla aims to enable direct c...