159 Aegean Companies Make the Exporters' List

159 Companies from Aegean Region on Exporters List The Aegean Region maintained its strong position with 159 companies on the top 1,000 exporters list, the champions league of exporting firms. In 2022, 53 companies from the services sector entered the top 1,000 exporters list for the first time, according to the list prepared by the Turkish Exporters Council. Despite the services sector disrupting all balances on the top 1,000 exporters list, the Aegean Region maintained its position with 159 companies, the same as in 2021. The Aegean Region was the second most represented region in the export champions league, while Izmir retained its second position on the top 1,000 exporters list with 75 companies, after Istanbul. Denizli took its place on the list with 25 companies, while Manisa was represented with 21 exporting firms on the top 1,000 list. Seven companies from Aydın, six each from Balıkesir and Kütahya, three from Muğla and two from Uşak enjoyed their place on the top 1,000 list. Eighteen companies from the Aegean Region entered the top 1,000 exporters list for the first time in 2022, while 141 companies managed to remain on the list.

Petkim leads in Izmir, Vestel in Manisa, Başak Metal in Denizli

Petkim Petrokimya Holding A.Ş. was the export champion in Izmir in 2022, while 2021 champion Pergamon-Status Dış Ticaret A.Ş. came in second. With the inclusion of the services sector, MSC GEMİ ACENTALIĞI A.Ş. entered Izmir's list of largest exporting companies in third place this year. VESTEL TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ, which has not relinquished Manisa's export championship for 24 years, extended its championship to 25 years. BAŞAK METAL TİC.VE SAN.A.Ş., which was the export champion in Denizli in previous years, did not surrender first place to anyone in 2022 either. In Balıkesir, BANVİT BANDIRMA VİTAMİNLİ YEM SAN. A. Ş., and in Muğla, KLC GIDA ÜRÜNLERİ İTH.İHR.VE TİC.A.Ş. maintained their top positions in 2022, while in Uşak, GEDİK TAVUKÇULUK VE TARIM ÜRÜNLERİ TİCARET SANAYİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ rose to the leadership in exports. TÜRKİYE PETROL RAFİNERİLERİ A. Ş., with its head office outside the Aegean Region but with production facilities in the Aegean Region, was the third largest exporting company in Turkey while becoming the chemistry sector champion. SOCAR TURKEY PETROL TİC. A.Ş., with production facilities in Izmir Aliağa, was listed as the fourth largest exporting company from Turkey. HABAŞ SINAİ VE TIBBİ GAZLAR İSTİHSAL ENDÜSTRİSİ A.Ş., which produces in Izmir Aliağa, became the number one company in the steel sector while ranking 15th in the overall ranking. JTI TÜTÜN ÜRÜNLERİ SANAYİ A.Ş., the tobacco sector export champion, ranked 178th on the top 1,000 list, while UÇAK KARDEŞLER GIDA SERACILIK ULUSLARARASI NAKLİYE PLASTİK SANAYİ VE TİCARET LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ, extending Turkey's first place in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector to its sixth year, managed to rank 216th on the top 1,000 exporters list. VERDE YAĞ BESİN MADDELERİ SANAYİ VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ, which entered the top 1,000 exporters list at 969th rank in 2021, climbed 536 positions to rank 433rd in 2022 and became another Izmir company that is the export champion in the olive and olive oil sector.

Eskinazi: "We are maintaining our strong position on the list"

Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator President of the Aegean Exporters Associations, sharing information that the Aegean Region demonstrated an export performance exceeding 31 billion dollars in 2022, emphasized that the Aegean Region is maintaining its strong position on the top 1,000 exporters list. Emphasizing the sectoral diversity of the Aegean Region's exports, Eskinazi stated: "Our companies from the Aegean Region are export champions in the chemistry, electrical-electronics, steel, aquatic products and animal products, tobacco, fresh fruit and vegetable, and olive and olive oil sectors. As a city that has taught Turkey about exports, by focusing on sustainability, innovation, research and development, design, digitalization and vocational training, we aim to increase our number on the top 1,000 exporters list through fairs, trade delegations, purchasing delegations and URGE projects. We expect our government to develop policies in the new period that will preserve the competitiveness of our exporters. If our government supports us, Turkish exporters have the potential to reach 500 billion dollars in exports in the medium term," he said.