TİM Launches Physical Trade Delegations

TIM Resumes Physical Trade Delegations The Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), while continuing its Virtual Trade Delegation programmes created to reduce Covid-19's impact on exports, has also begun conducting physical trade delegations that could not take place due to the pandemic. After 19 months, TIM organized its first physical trade delegation to brother country Azerbaijan. Commenting on the resumption of physical delegations, TIM Chairman İsmail Gülle stated: "We worked without stopping during the pandemic. Over the 19-month period, we conducted 94 Virtual Trade Delegations to a total of 72 countries. Our future and destiny with our Azerbaijani Turkish brothers and sisters, with whom we share history, language, religion and culture, is as intertwined as our past. This is why conducting our first physical delegation after 19 months to our friendly and brother country Azerbaijan holds special significance for us." Turkish exporters, the field representatives of the economy and trade diplomacy, continue to set historical records month after month despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), the umbrella organization of 61 exporter associations, 27 sectors and 100,000 exporters, has continued its Virtual Trade Delegation programmes during the pandemic period that create opportunities for participating firms in new partnerships and sales while also increasing export figures, while on the other hand beginning physical trade delegations in the normalization period. In this framework, TIM organized its first physical trade delegation after 19 months to brother country Azerbaijan. Coordinated by the Ministry of Trade and organized by TIM, the trade delegation to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, held between 11-14 October was chaired by TIM Board Member Salahattin Kaplan. The heavily attended meetings resulted in 155 business negotiations. Commenting on the trade delegation conducted to Azerbaijan, TIM Chairman İsmail Gülle stated: "We worked without stopping during the pandemic. Over the 19-month period, we conducted 94 Virtual Trade Delegations to a total of 72 countries, but the significance of events where we gather physically is different. Our future and destiny with our Azerbaijani Turkish brothers and sisters, with whom we share history, language, religion and culture, is as one as our past. This is why we conducted our first physical delegation after 19 months to our friendly and brother country Azerbaijan. With the principle of two states, one nation, we have reached this day with a sense of brotherhood that has been growing for nearly 100 years. We must develop our spirit of unity and solidarity in every area and increase our cooperation further. Trade comes first among the areas we need to develop," he said. Noting that Turkey and Azerbaijan are two important countries advancing their regional and global impact through their strategic positions and making steady progress on the path to industrialization, TIM Board Member Salahattin Kaplan said: "We have recorded tremendous growth in mutual trade over the last 19 years. In fact, while we exported USD 225 million to Azerbaijan in 2001, that figure reached USD 2.1 billion in 2020. Our country is Azerbaijan's second largest trading partner. In the first 9 months of this year, we exported USD 1.73 billion to Azerbaijan, representing a 16.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This year, our Chemicals and Chemical Products sector ranks first in exports to the brother country with a 22.1 percent increase (compared to the same 9-month period last year) and USD 372.802 million in exports. This sector is followed by Defense and Aviation Industry with USD 184 million (49.6 percent increase), Machinery and Components with USD 136.6 million (12.4 percent increase), Electrical Electronics with USD 119.5 million (despite a 5.3 percent decrease), Furniture, Paper and Forest Products with USD 104.6 million (8.8 percent increase)," he said.