Chemical sector four-month exports reach USD 6.057 billion
According to data from İstanbul Kimyevi Maddeler ve Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği (İKMİB), chemical sector exports in April 2020 declined 27.39% year-on-year to USD 1.288 billion. The chemical sector, which concluded 2019 as Turkey's second-largest exporting sector with USD 20.6 billion in exports, rose to first place in exports during April. The sector's four-month exports reached USD 6.057 billion.
"Germany, Iraq and Italy were our leading export destinations in April"
Evaluating April chemical sector export figures, İstanbul Kimyevi Maddeler ve Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği (İKMİB) Board Chairman Adil Pelister stated, "Our chemical sector, Turkey's second-largest exporting sector, saw April exports of USD 1.288 billion, representing a 27.39% decline due to the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy. In April, we became the sector with the highest exports among all sectors. This demonstrates that chemistry is a fundamental part of our lives, and through our raw materials—from automotive to furniture, textiles to food—we touch many sectors and provide significant added value to our country.
In the first four months, we exported USD 6.057 billion. During the four-month period, there was an 11% decline in our chemical exports. In April, Germany, Iraq and Italy were our leading export destinations. The top three countries we exported to from the beginning of the year through now are the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
"Export restrictions on chemicals removed"
Products subject to export recording and pre-authorization requirements, which entered into force upon publication in the Official Gazette on Saturday, 2 May—including ethyl alcohol, cologne, disinfectant, alcohol-based wet wipes and hydrogen peroxide, ventilators, ECMO, oxygen concentrators, ventilation consumables and accessories, patient circuits (anesthesia/ventilator circuits), IV cannulas, intubation tubes, intensive care monitors—saw export restrictions lifted on medical, cosmetic and chemical products.
This opened the path for our exports. Throughout this process, we have consistently emphasized that following our country's needs, our exports must continue uninterrupted. The positive results of the initiatives we have undertaken together with sector representatives across all available platforms is extremely encouraging news and a sign of entering a positive process. We anticipate positive reflections of this decision on our chemical exports beginning next month. We believe recovery will occur alongside the gradual normalization process in May and June. Together with the new normalization process, it is crucial that we continue to work, produce and export to capitalize on our country's positive perception of managing this process. We believe new opportunities will emerge both for our sector and for our country.
Germany was the leading export destination in April
Germany was the top export destination in April. Other countries in the top ten following Germany in April were Iraq, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Romania, Israel and Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan.
Chemical exports to Germany in April 2020 reached USD 77.263 million. The main products exported to Germany in April were "plastics and articles thereof," "rubber and rubber articles," "miscellaneous chemical substances," "essential oils, cosmetics and soap," "pharmaceutical products," "cleaning preparations," "paints, varnish, inks and preparations" and "inorganic chemicals."
During the four-month period January-April 2020, the leading chemical export destinations in the top ten were the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Iraq, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Egypt and Israel.
April saw the highest exports of "plastics and articles thereof"
In April, among chemical substances and products, exports of
plastics and articles thereof ranked first in chemical exports with USD 411.888 million.
Second place went to
mineral fuels, mineral oils and products with USD 187.068 million in exports, while
inorganic chemicals exports ranked
third with USD 137.178 million. Other sectors in the top ten following inorganic chemicals were: miscellaneous chemical substances, pharmaceutical products, essential oils, cosmetics and soap, cleaning preparations, rubber and rubber articles, paints, varnish, inks and preparations and organic chemicals.
2020 monthly chemical exports
| MONTH |
2019 VALUE ($) |
2020 VALUE ($) |
CHANGE (%) |
| January |
1,541,013,096.05 |
1,699,414,387.24 |
10.28% |
| February |
1,646,217,599.10 |
1,513,735,748.36 |
-8.05% |
| March |
1,844,933,116.99 |
1,555,895,037.44 |
-15.67% |
| April |
1,773,916,537.53 |
1,288,106,222.33 |
-27.39% |
| TOTAL |
6,806,080,350 |
6,057,151,395 |
-11.00% |
Leading chemical export destinations in April 2020
| NO. |
Country |
APRIL 2019 VALUE ($) |
APRIL 2020 VALUE ($) |
CHANGE (%) |
| 1 |
GERMANY |
77,829,943.30 |
77,263,498.25 |
-0.73% |
| 2 |
IRAQ |
81,577,050.24 |
69,006,989.07 |
-15.41% |
| 3 |
ITALY |
94,302,839.21 |
66,150,308.95 |
-29.85% |
| 4 |
NETHERLANDS |
26,803,305.25 |
60,766,935.47 |
126.71% |
| 5 |
SPAIN |
102,126,662.77 |
59,235,142.25 |
-42.00% |
| 6 |
UNITED KINGDOM |
39,177,629.15 |
57,502,120.38 |
46.77% |
| 7 |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
95,892,505.64 |
44,953,106.95 |
-53.12% |
| 8 |
ROMANIA |
33,959,777.43 |
39,406,342.71 |
16.04% |
| 9 |
ISRAEL |
34,664,841.35 |
36,479,185.19 |
5.23% |
| 10 |
AZERBAIJAN-NAKHCHIVAN |
28,462,377.68 |
35,618,505.77 |
25.14% |
Chemical sector sub-sectors in April 2020 exports
| |
|
|
2019-2020 |
| |
APRIL 2019 |
APRIL 2020 |
% CHANGE |
| PRODUCT GROUP |
VALUE ($) |
VALUE ($) |
VALUE |
| PLASTICS AND ARTICLES THEREOF |
532,842,653 |
411,888,406 |
-22.70% |
| MINERAL FUELS, MINERAL OILS AND PRODUCTS |
562,483,426 |
187,068,218 |
-66.74% |
| INORGANIC CHEMICALS |
161,758,118 |
137,178,812 |
-15.20% |
| MISCELLANEOUS CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES |
59,048,812 |
133,545,281 |
126.16% |
| PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS |
82,057,706 |
95,864,287 |
16.83% |
| ESSENTIAL OILS, COSMETICS AND SOAP |
96,239,665 |
92,493,629 |
-3.89% |
| CLEANING PREPARATIONS |
36,389,527 |
55,978,944 |
53.83% |
| RUBBER AND RUBBER ARTICLES |
103,751,716 |
55,422,175 |
-46.58% |
| PAINTS, VARNISH, INKS AND PREPARATIONS |
65,314,321 |
50,943,244 |
-22.00% |
| ORGANIC CHEMICALS |
47,402,378 |
25,543,883 |
-46.11% |
| FERTILIZERS |
9,535,160 |
25,277,242 |
165.10% |
| ADHESIVES, GLUES, ENZYMES |
15,100,369 |
14,706,645 |
-2.61% |
| POWDER, EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES AND DERIVATIVES |
752,236 |
800,220 |
6.38% |
| PROCESSED ASBESTOS AND MIXTURES, ARTICLES |
13,063 |
736,681 |
5,539.63% |
| PRODUCTS USED IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND CINEMATOGRAPHY |
1,106,880 |
430,545 |
-61.10% |
| GLYCERIN, VEGETABLE PRODUCTS, DEGRADED OILS, FATTY SUBSTANCES |
120,508 |
228,012 |
89.21% |
| TOTAL |
1,773,916,538 |
1,288,106,222 |
-27.39% |
