The Association was established in 1841 comprising of brokers and merchants for the purpose of handling the increased amount of cotton imports that were coming through the port of Liverpool.

By 1882 a new association had been established to serve the interests of both buyers and sellers of raw cotton: this body was called the Liverpool Cotton Association , and was governed by an agreed set of trading rules. These rules, amended to reflect the changes in working practices, remain in existence today and form the basis for arbitration and dispute resolution. The LCA, as a result of its history, remains the epicentre for the international trade of cotton and its membership comprises of approximately 400 companies or individuals in over 60 countries in the world. It is managed by an entirely international board with responsibility for providing the services and advice to support over 60% of the raw cotton that is traded internationally, thus justifying the LCA’s claim to be the foremost cotton trade association in the world.

The Liverpool Cotton Association is a founder member of Professional Liverpool. Through Professional Liverpool, the LCA is able to put local companies directly in contact with representatives of the international trade who seek financial, legal, and other services so essential to the trading of a worldwide commodity. In some respects, professionaliverpool offers a one-stop shop for the buyers and sellers of raw cotton, and is therefore a very good reason why the Liverpool Cotton Association decided to join this organisation at the outset.