According to data from Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association (İKMİB), chemical substances and products exports reached USD 2 billion in March 2021 with a 34.60% increase. This figure set a record as the highest monthly export volume to date. The sector grew 14% in the first quarter with USD 5.31 billion in exports.
Evaluating the chemical sector's March export figures,
İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister said: "Our country reached an all-time monthly record of USD 18.98 billion in March this year. Our chemical sector also broke its monthly record in March this year with 34.60% growth, achieving USD 2 billion in exports. Our exports in the first three months reached USD 5.31 billion with 14% growth. Our sector continues to be the second-largest exporting sector both on a monthly and annual basis. We have achieved the best performance of all time.
We are proud of our exporters who have brought us to this record despite all challenging conditions. On the other hand, we are facing logistical and supply problems, rising raw material prices, volatility in exchange rates, and difficulties in accessing financing that challenge our sector. Due to logistics problems and container shortage issues, as well as raw material supply problems stemming from rising raw material prices, we could not exceed this figure. Additionally, it is very important for the future of our trade that the rising Covid-19 cases in the world and our country are brought back under control. We expect these conditions that challenge us in reaching our targets to improve as soon as possible. Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM) recently announced that they are working on a logistics platform.
We believe this initiative will play an important role for our exporters, especially our SMEs. On the other hand, with the chemical sector included in the Technology-Focused Industry Initiative program, our Ministry of Industry and Technology is planning to issue a call in May or June. We hope that investments in our sector will increase with improvements in the investment environment."
USA was the leading export destination in March
The USA was the leading export destination in March. Other countries in the top ten following the USA in March were Germany, Italy, Iraq, Greece, Netherlands, UK, Spain, Nigeria and Israel. Among the top 10 destinations in March, 9 showed increased exports while the Netherlands saw a decrease. The highest growth among the top 10 countries was 798.27% to Nigeria.
Chemical exports to the USA in March 2021 reached USD 121,708,540.63. This represented an 81.81% increase compared to the same period last year. The main products exported to the USA in March were mineral fuels, mineral oils and products, plastics and plastic products, inorganic chemicals, and rubber and rubber products.
In the January-March 2021 period, the top 10 destinations for chemical exports were Germany, Italy, USA, Iraq, Greece, Spain, Netherlands, UK, Belgium and Lebanon respectively.
March saw the highest exports of plastics and plastic products
Among chemical substances and products in March,
plastics and plastic products exports ranked first in chemical exports with USD 732,480,367.
Second place went to
mineral fuels, mineral oils and products with USD 373,220,294 in exports, while
inorganic chemicals exports ranked
third with USD 185,579,703. Following inorganic chemicals, other sectors in the top ten were rubber and rubber products, essential oils, cosmetics and soap, pharmaceutical products, paints, varnishes, inks and preparations, miscellaneous chemical substances, organic chemicals, and washing preparations.
The highest export growth among subsectors in March was 84.74% in the organic chemicals sector.
Diagnostic kits saw the highest exports of Covid-19 products in March
Covid-19 product exports including disinfectants, cologne, pharmaceuticals, soap and diagnostic kits within the chemical substances and products sector showed a 9.93% increase in March compared to March of last year, reaching USD 27.7 million.
In the Covid-19 products exported in March this year, diagnostic kits exports ranked first with USD 15,398,664.02 and a 100.57% increase, disinfectant exports ranked second with USD 5,273,360.14 showing a 45.51% decrease, soap exports ranked third with USD 3,616,032.83 with a 39.11% decline, pharmaceutical exports ranked fourth with USD 1,767,858.29 and a 101.30% increase, and cologne exports ranked fifth with USD 1,646,110.95 and a 60.10% increase.
In diagnostic kits exports in March, the top three destinations were Germany, Libya and UAE, while in disinfectant exports they were USA, Libya and Iraq, in soap exports Iraq, Israel and USA, in pharmaceutical exports Bulgaria, Germany and Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan, and in cologne exports Germany, USA and Netherlands.
In the January-March 2021 period, Covid-19 product exports in the chemical substances and products sector increased 41.92% to reach USD 74,133,000. Diagnostic kits accounted for the largest share with USD 36.1 million in the first quarter, while the highest export growth was again 147.05% in diagnostic kits.
2021 monthly chemical exports
| MONTH |
2020 VALUE ($) |
2021 VALUE ($) |
CHANGE (%) |
| January |
1,683,218,155.09 |
1,632,165,926.30 |
-3.03% |
| February |
1,493,637,898.61 |
1,672,444,638.11 |
11.97% |
| March |
1,491,892,781.81 |
2,008,128,017.54 |
34.60% |
| TOTAL |
4,668,748,836 |
5,312,738,582 |
13.79% |
Top chemical exporting destinations in March 2021
| NO. |
Country |
MARCH 2020 VALUE ($) |
MARCH 2021 VALUE ($) |
CHANGE (%) |
| 1 |
USA |
66,944,522.67 |
121,708,540.63 |
81.81% |
| 2 |
GERMANY |
79,077,345.49 |
114,805,807.71 |
45.18% |
| 3 |
ITALY |
42,011,132.02 |
102,349,869.71 |
143.63% |
| 4 |
IRAQ |
39,360,137.78 |
95,047,993.64 |
141.48% |
| 5 |
GREECE |
19,116,134.19 |
75,014,923.78 |
292.42% |
| 6 |
NETHERLANDS |
93,193,375.34 |
70,521,776.84 |
-24.33% |
| 7 |
UK |
47,767,078.38 |
65,737,736.98 |
37.62% |
| 8 |
SPAIN |
50,009,784.51 |
59,488,212.63 |
18.95% |
| 9 |
NIGERIA |
6,593,139.93 |
59,224,351.21 |
798.27% |
| 10 |
ISRAEL |
44,588,849.41 |
57,653,188.94 |
29.30% |
Chemical sector subsectors in March 2021 exports
| |
|
|
2020-2021 |
| |
MARCH 2020 |
MARCH 2021 |
% CHANGE |
| PRODUCT GROUP |
VALUE ($) |
VALUE ($) |
VALUE |
| PLASTICS AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS |
513,805,980 |
732,480,367 |
42.56% |
| MINERAL FUELS, MINERAL OILS AND PRODUCTS |
281,235,315 |
373,220,294 |
32.71% |
| INORGANIC CHEMICALS |
131,840,506 |
185,579,703 |
40.76% |
| RUBBER AND RUBBER PRODUCTS |
101,413,216 |
140,661,491 |
38.70% |
| ESSENTIAL OILS, COSMETICS AND SOAP |
103,342,193 |
119,419,699 |
15.56% |
| PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS |
94,579,397 |
104,989,636 |
11.01% |
| PAINTS, VARNISHES, INKS AND PREPARATIONS |
68,417,695 |
92,390,858 |
35.04% |
| MISCELLANEOUS CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES |
72,530,246 |
87,965,521 |
21.28% |
| ORGANIC CHEMICALS |
37,614,192 |
69,490,041 |
84.74% |
| WASHING PREPARATIONS |
45,112,366 |
47,373,923 |
5.01% |
| FERTILIZERS |
22,409,079 |
25,885,842 |
15.51% |
| ADHESIVES, GLUES AND ENZYMES |
17,631,709 |
25,796,265 |
46.31% |
| GUNPOWDER, EXPLOSIVES AND DERIVATIVES |
877,261 |
1,768,072 |
101.54% |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CINEMATOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS |
958,383 |
1,025,174 |
6.97% |
| GLYCERIN, VEGETABLE PRODUCTS, DEGRA, FATTY SUBSTANCES |
70,935 |
67,536 |
-4.79% |
| PROCESSED ASBESTOS AND MIXTURES, PRODUCTS |
54,309 |
13,597 |
-74.96% |
| TOTAL |
1,491,892,782 |
2,008,128,018 |
34.60% |
Covid-19 product exports from the chemical sector in March 2021
| |
|
|
2020-2021 |
| |
March 2020 |
March 2021 |
% CHANGE |
| PRODUCT |
VALUE ($) |
VALUE ($) |
VALUE |
| DIAGNOSTIC KITS |
7,677,586.72 |
15,398,664.02 |
100.57% |
| DISINFECTANT |
9,676,851.11 |
5,273,360.14 |
-45.51% |
| SOAP |
5,938,498.87 |
3,616,032.83 |
-39.11% |
| PHARMACEUTICAL |
878,212.46 |
1,767,858.29 |
101.30% |
| COLOGNE |
1,028,151.98 |
1,646,110.95 |
60.10% |
| TOTAL |
25,199,301.14 |
27,702,026.23 |
9.93% |
