Become a Member

"What TCA Will Do For You."

The Texas Cotton Association is a nonprofit trade Association consisting of Active members (Cotton Merchants and Primary Marketers) and Associate members (businesses supporting the cotton trade industry) and was organized and corporation chartered in 1911. TCA engages in a variety of services and activities to the cotton trade as follows:

CIRCULAR LETTERS, PUBLICATIONS & PRINT MEDIA: The Association keeps its members informed regarding the various activities in which it is engaged through circular letters (via US mail, & e-mail) and various meetings disseminating pertinent information to the trade. Circular Letters include government reports/updates, convention and meeting information, forms, notices, quarterly statements and annual dues as well as useful information to other facets of the cotton industry. The Association publishes an online Membership Directory, Rules & By-Laws, a Convention Edition magazine, Texas Cotton Supply and Demand reference booklets to foreign delegations visiting Texas, as well as other meeting programs.

TRADE RULES: The Association maintains Trade Rules and By-Laws for the purchase and sale of cotton in Texas, providing adequate safeguards for both buyer and seller, in keeping with accepted business principles and terms on which practically all cotton trading is done in Texas.

ARBITRATIONS: Provides an autonomous equitable system of arbitration maintained for the purpose of settlement of disputes between members and/or nonmembers, without resorting to the expensive methods involving litigation.

LEGISLATION: The Association maintains surveillance on state legislative issues affecting the commodity cotton. This includes active involvement and membership in The Texas AG Council, a watchdog group of agricultural organizations in Texas that work closely together to circumvent harmful pending legislation. We engage with regulatory agencies, representatives and senators, and executive heads of government to ensure that Texas agriculture remains a strong and viable contribution to the State of Texas, the nation and the world. 

MEETINGS: Flow/Marketing Meetings are held each year to include all facets of the cotton industry to guarantee an orderly flow of cotton from the field to the mill. The West Texas Flow/Marketing Meeting, is usually held in September/October, preceding the cotton harvest season. These meetings are conducted to identify problems and to review requirements among all segments in the supply chain and to provide the necessary information required for each segment to plan for the approaching harvesting and shipping season. This organization has also held South Texas Flow/Marketing Meetings in the past and continues to monitor port, and crop issues affecting our trade. An annual meeting of the members and guests of the Association is held each year, usually in March/April, to discuss and take action in the formulation of policies through committee/executive sessions, including the election of Officers and Directors and the review of the past year's activities.

AMERICAN COTTON SHIPPERS ASSOCIATION: Membership in the Texas Cotton Association automatically carries with it a membership in the American Cotton Shippers Association. ACSA activities include an annual meeting, usually in May, circular letters, trade rules, arbitrations and legislative surveillance- on an international and national level. You may visit ACSA at www.acsa-cotton.org to learn more about what ACSA does for members.

Dues Table

TCA members are subject to a 5,000 bale minimum annually. Annual dues are collected from Merchants, Primary Buyer and Associate Members at the above applicable TCA rate. The American Cotton Shippers (ACSA) will invoice for their portion. rules require that members of this associaiton also maintain a membership in ACSA.

PDF Links

If you are interested in becoming a member, please click on the link below to download our application form in .pdf format. You need Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view this file.