Industrial Sector Exports Rose 87%

Industrial sector exports from the Aegean Exporters Associations rose 87% in May, climbing from USD 380 million to USD 712 million. The mining sector advanced 54%, raising its May 2020 exports from USD 68 million to USD 94.40 million.

Ege İhracatçı Birlikleri Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi announced that when the mining sector is included in the USD 712 million industrial exports from EİB, Germany leads with USD 90 million, followed by the United States with USD 70 million and the United Kingdom with USD 60 million.

  "The sectors within our Association generated USD 274 million of the USD 712 million in exports. The remaining USD 438 million, or 60%, of the region's industrial exports is carried out by sectors without an association within EİB. These figures confirm once again how justified our call for establishing associations for these sectors within EİB is. The problems facing companies can best be addressed through our organization, and we can provide the educational support they need. We will continue our efforts to establish new Exporters Associations within EİB, prioritizing the sectors of "Chemicals," "Electrical-Electronics," "Cement, Ceramics and Earth Products," "Automotive Suppliers," "Machinery," and "Air Conditioning Industry." Industrial exports comprised USD 154 million in chemicals and chemical products, USD 61.8 million in the automotive industry, USD 61 million in the air conditioning industry, USD 60 million in electrical-electronics, USD 49.4 million in machinery and components, USD 35.8 million in cement, glass, ceramics and earth products, USD 6.8 million in carpets, defense and aviation industries, USD 4.9 million, and USD 2.5 million in ship and yacht exports.

Textile sector achieves fifth record

The Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association, which set export growth records in the first four months of 2021, achieved its fifth record in May. ETHİB increased its May exports 223%, rising from USD 11 million to USD 35.7 million. The textile sector, which experiences near 100% monthly export growth, is advancing toward a year-end target of USD 350 million.  

Steel sector export growth reaches 73%

Among the 12 exporters associations under the Aegean Exporters Associations, the Aegean Iron and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters Association achieved the highest export volume at USD 138 million. EDDMİB increased its May exports by 73%. Aegean Iron and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters Association President Yalçın Ertan stated that they set an export target of USD 1.4 billion at the start of 2021, but due to their strong performance in the first five months, their exports over the past 12 months rose to USD 1.5 billion, and should conditions continue, they will easily exceed their export targets. "The iron and non-ferrous metals sector, together with steel products, is the sector that achieved the highest exports nationwide in May, and at the same time ranks as the Association conducting the highest exports in the Aegean Region. It is a matter of pride for us to be among the sectors that bring the most foreign currency to our region and country. We also see consistent momentum growth in our exports from the Aegean Region. There have been no disruptions in orders since the start of the year, and as steel users grow concerned about further increases in raw material prices, they are raising their purchases to maintain adequate stock. We have also already secured our export connections for the coming 2-3 months."  

Mining sector reaches USD 1 billion target

The Aegean Mining Exporters Association, which faced difficult times in 2020 due to the pandemic, continues to add new achievements to its record in 2021 as normalization occurs worldwide. Aegean Mining Exporters Association President Mevlüt Kaya stated, "In May we increased our exports 38% to USD 94.40 million. Over the past 12 months, with 11% growth, we reached USD 1.005 billion in exports, achieving our USD 1 billion target set for 2021 by the end of May. Ege Maden İhracatçıları Birliği members engaged in natural stone exports, who generate 73% of our exports from processed natural stone products, truly deserve all recognition. There is a USD 20 billion mining sector market worldwide. Increasing our share of this market is not possible through selling just more product. We must also sell value-added products. We are working on this day and night."  

Ready-made garment exports rise 59%

The Aegean Ready-Made Garment and Confection Exporters Association has recaptured its former glory in exports with normalization in Europe, its largest export market. Aegean Ready-Made Garment and Confection Exporters Association President Burak Sertbaş stated, "In March we saw 37% growth, and in April—one of the months we experienced the steepest declines in 2020—we achieved 148% growth this year. Our exports advanced 59% in May and reached USD 90.619 million. Over the past year, we managed to bring USD 1.442 billion in foreign currency to Turkey. We are very close to reaching our 2021 export target of USD 1.5 billion. We are traditionally the sector that brings far and away the largest trade surplus for Turkey. In 2020, by achieving approximately USD 17 billion in exports, we brought significant foreign currency to our country in the current economic environment. This level of performance as a sector encourages us for the future."  

Leather and leather products achieve 76% record

The Aegean Leather and Leather Products Exporters Association increased exports 76%, reaching USD 9.740 million. The leather and leather products sector, which reached USD 134 million in exports over the past 12 months, is targeting USD 160 million by year-end. Aegean Leather and Leather Products Exporters Association President Erkan Zandar stated, "We project that our sector's exports will reach around USD 200 million by 2023. Our production quality and product quality meet world standards. We have begun exporting to countries like China and India that import semi-finished materials. We expect rapid momentum after May. We see our own brand stores in regions like Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. As our brand recognition grows, these figures will increase. European brands in particular are seeking partnerships in Turkey related to the footwear sector. The results of this search will become clear in September."  

Which countries receive the most sector-specific exports?

• Steel: United Kingdom, Germany, and Colombia,
• Iron and non-ferrous metals: Germany, Italy, Israel,
• Cement, glass, ceramics and earth products: United States, United Kingdom, Germany,
• Leather and leather products: Germany, United Kingdom, United States,
• Electrical-electronics: Germany, France, Netherlands,
• Ships and yachts: Austria and Netherlands,
• Carpets: United States,
• Air conditioning industry: Germany, Italy and France
• Chemicals and chemical products: Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium,
• Ready-made garments and confection: Germany, Spain, United Kingdom,
• Mining sector: United States, China, Spain,
• Machinery and components: United States, Germany, Ukraine,
• Defense and aviation industries: United States, United Kingdom,
• Vehicles and automotive suppliers: Germany, Italy, France,
• Textile and raw materials sector: Pakistan, China, Vietnam are among the leading countries.