Please see the following important information from the National Cotton Ginners Association:
Currently, there is no language within the JCIBPC Bale Packaging Specifications or USDA regulations that prohibits the application of any type of sticker to the outside of a bale. There are concerns that messages or images of any kind other than normal business/logistics requirements could violate domestic regulations in the import market and render the bale subject to delay, seizure or rejection upon inspection at international ports. It is important to remember that a bale can change ownership several times as it moves through normal marketing channels.
U.S. cotton industry policy strongly urges against affixing anything to a bale that could become a source of contamination, conceals the PBI tag, affects the quality of the cotton, or that inhibits, interferes or makes more difficult the removal of ties/packaging.
Further, the National Cotton Council, working with its industry affiliates through the JCIBPC, has consistently encouraged greater uniformity of bale packaging and labeling. Such uniformity enhances and ensures the sustained marketing value of U.S. cotton in global markets.
