İKMİB Honors Top Exporters of 2024

Turkey's chemical industry exports stars for 2024 have been unveiled. The 10th edition of the "İKMİB Export Stars Award Ceremony" organised annually by the Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association (İKMİB) took place on 23 May 2025. A total of 180 awards were presented across 36 categories at the 2024 İKMİB Export Stars Award Ceremony.

The chemical sector, which achieved USD 30.8 billion in exports during 2024 and ranked second among Turkey's highest export-generating sectors, continued its success by exporting to 231 countries and regions through 16 subsectors, capturing approximately 13.6% of Turkey's total exports according to TIM data.

The 2024 İKMİB Export Stars Award Ceremony, organised for the 10th time this year by İKMİB to honour and encourage member companies in the chemical sector for their successful exports, took place on 23 May 2025. The ceremony was hosted by İKMİB Board of Directors Chairman Adil Pelister and was attended by T.R. Deputy Minister of Trade Özgür Volkan Ağar and representatives of award-winning companies. At the award ceremony, 180 companies ranking in the top 5 across 36 categories in the chemical sector's subsectors and product groups were eligible to receive awards, with plaques presented to the top 3 exporting companies during the ceremony.

Ağar: "The chemical sector, through its visionary approach, production capacity and export capabilities, has made a strong contribution to Turkey's advancement to a more strategic position in global value chains"
T.R. Deputy Minister of Trade Özgür Volkan Ağar, emphasising that the chemical sector is not only a highly multifaceted sector in itself but also serves as a fundamental building block for many manufacturing sectors, stated: "When we consider that more than 80% of chemical products produced worldwide are evaluated as intermediate products or raw materials in other sectors and directly and indirectly contribute approximately USD 5.7 trillion to the global economy, and indirectly provide employment to 120 million people worldwide, we can easily see the value the sector holds for country economies. As the chemical sector is of great importance in global trade and production, it holds equal importance for our country's economy. Despite the uncertainties experienced in the global economy last year and fluctuations in energy raw material prices, our sector succeeded in maintaining its leading role in exports strongly.

Our sector, which ranks second among Turkey's highest export-generating sectors with approximately USD 31 billion in export volume, has made a strong contribution to Turkey's advancement to a more strategic position in global value chains through its visionary approach, production capacity and export capabilities. Our plastics and rubber products sector continues to maintain its position as the locomotive product group in chemical exports with its contribution of nearly USD 10 billion in foreign exchange to our economy. As of 2025, Turkey is Europe's 2nd and the world's 6th largest plastic producer. Our healthcare sector, which falls in the advanced technology and high value-added products category—namely our pharmaceutical and medical device sectors—ranks among our country's strategic priorities. We firmly believe that our pharmaceutical and medical device sectors will further develop our domestic capabilities and increase our USD 2.2 billion pharmaceutical exports and USD 1.4 billion medical device exports further. I sincerely congratulate our exporters whose awards will be presented today."

Pelister: "We are taking visionary steps to exceed USD 50 billion in chemical exports by 2030"
İKMİB Board of Directors Chairman Adil Pelister, who delivered the opening speech of the 2024 İKMİB Export Stars Award Ceremony, stated: "At the İKMİB Export Stars award ceremony, which we are organising for the 10th time this year, we have gathered to honour Turkish chemical exporters who successfully represent our chemical sector in global trade. Under the İKMİB umbrella, we sincerely celebrate our chemical exporters who wave our flag across the four corners of the world and are deemed worthy of awards as we carry our chemical exports forward with steady steps to a strong future. While becoming Turkey's second highest export-generating sector with USD 30.8 billion in exports during 2024, we continued our success under the leadership of our star chemical companies despite all challenges in the global economy and international trade. We entered 2025 with high motivation and achieved USD 10.3 billion in exports in the first four months of the year. As İKMİB, we are rapidly continuing our qualified activities focused on the four corners of the world to strengthen our chemical sector, which touches 27 main sectors with its strategically important products and serves as a locomotive for Turkish industry and exports through 16 subsectors. To reach our export target of USD 35 billion set for 2025, we are progressing day and night according to our roadmap designed within our Vision 2030 strategy on every platform where the heart of global trade beats. For our chemical sector's export target, which we aspire to exceed USD 50 billion by 2030, we are taking visionary steps and preparing for the future starting today."

Pelister: "With the Chemical Technology Centre, we have opened the door to a new ecosystem that will be the meeting point of the chemistry of the future"
Pelister, expressing that they have crossed an important threshold with the Chemical Technology Centre initiative in line with their Vision 2030 strategy, stated: "With an investment of TRY 165 million in the Chemical Technology Centre we have established, 39 tests that were never previously conducted in Turkey are being performed in our laboratories equipped with modern equipment. With the activation of a total of 209 different tests, 100 of which will soon be certified with international accreditation, we have essentially opened the door to an ecosystem that will be the meeting point of the chemistry of the future.

Because we needed a technology centre with domestic and national capabilities to provide testing and certification services, to be the first in this field in Turkey, to serve as an incubator for innovative chemical products, and to specialise particularly in chemistry. We believe that the Chemical Technology Centre, not only through testing and laboratory services but also through start-up projects emerging from our incubator centre, domestic technologies, certification services and consulting, will be the heart of innovation. I thank our valued member companies who support the Chemical Technology Centre we have created by transforming a dream into reality with the proportional membership fees of İKMİB members and who have started to quickly benefit from our services. Our second strategic step is to establish the Turkey Chemical Agency. Following this, our final step to complement it is to establish a Chemistry Science City, which will also be the first of its kind in Turkey. In the coming period, we will continue to work with all our strength to take Turkish chemical exports to the next level in global trade."