Kocaeli Exported $1.3 Billion as New Year Began

Industrial hub Kocaeli recorded USD 1.3 billion in exports in January. Kocaeli, one of the provinces that contributed most to Turkey's record USD 180.5 billion in exports in 2019, made a strong start to the new year. According to data from the Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM), the city's external sales reached USD 1,300,889,000 last month, placing it second in the export rankings after Istanbul. In January of the previous year, the city had recorded USD 1,312,543,000 in exports. In the first month of the year, three-quarters of exports from the city were generated by companies operating in the automotive and chemical sectors. The city hosts major manufacturers such as Ford Otosan, Hyundai Assan and Anadolu Isuzu, as well as numerous suppliers. Automotive exports from the city reached USD 549,349,000 last month. The chemical industry, in second place, recorded exports of USD 430,359,000. The ferrous and non-ferrous metals sector ranked third in export rankings with USD 72,549,000, followed by steel with USD 59,012,000, electrical and electronics with USD 56,818,000, and machinery and parts industry with USD 41,688,000.

Largest exports to the Netherlands

The country to which the industrial city exported most in January was the Netherlands with USD 119,667,000. Exports to this country increased 107% compared to the same period last year. With the completion of the Brexit process, the United Kingdom, which left the European Union last week, became Kocaeli's second-largest export market. USD 117,300,000 in exports were made to the country last month. Italy ranked third with USD 100,948,000. It was followed by Slovenia with USD 90,027,000, Germany with USD 83,402,000 and France with USD 72,365,000.   Source