New Era in Turkey's Second-Largest Export Sector: Chemicals

The global chemical sector is undergoing a new transformation driven by shifting supply chains, energy costs, sustainability-focused production models and regional manufacturing trends. The sector, with a size of approximately 6 trillion dollars, serves as a key input supplier to numerous strategic areas ranging from automotive to defence industry, textiles to agriculture, energy to healthcare technologies, positioning itself among the locomotive sectors of the global economy.

In Turkey, the chemical industry continues to be one of the strategic sectors of the economy with its strong export performance. The chemical industry, which ranks as Turkey's second-largest exporting sector, achieved exports exceeding USD 13.8 billion in the first five months of 2026, while recording approximately USD 3 billion in exports in May alone.

Ahmet Güler, Founder and CEO of Artkim Group, noted that the chemical sector directly impacts the production capacity of many industrial branches and drew attention to the sector's strategic position in Turkey's economy.

"The chemical sector forms the foundation of a broad production ecosystem ranging from automotive to defence industry, energy to healthcare technologies. The export performance demonstrated by our sector, which plays a critical role in Turkey's industrial production and export targets, ranks among the most concrete indicators of this strength," he said.

Competition Dynamics in the Chemical Industry Are Changing
Ahmet Güler emphasized that the transformation taking place in global production chains directly affects the chemical sector, noting that the sector is now evaluated not only by production capacity but also by technology development, sustainability, supply chain security and competitiveness criteria.

Güler stated, "Geopolitical developments, energy costs and changes in global supply chains are reshaping the sector's production and trade dynamics. The chemical industry today is preparing for a new era centred on high value-added production, digitalization and environmental sustainability."

Pointing to Turkey's significant advantages in this process, Güler continued as follows:
"Through its strategic geographic location, advanced production infrastructure and strong export capability, Turkey has the potential to assume a more effective role in the global chemical sector. To realize this potential, technology investments, sustainable production practices and increased international cooperation are of great importance."

The Sector's Meeting Point: Turkchem Eurasia
Noting that collaborations between manufacturers, technology providers and suppliers have become more critical than ever during the chemical sector's transformation process, Güler emphasized the importance of the sector coming together on common platforms.

"The chemical industry has a very broad and multi-layered production ecosystem. Therefore, it is of great importance for sector representatives to come together to evaluate new technologies, discuss sustainable production practices and develop new business collaborations. Turkchem Eurasia Fair also contributes to the sector's development by bringing manufacturers, suppliers and technology providers together under one roof," he said.

R&D and Green Transition Will Be Decisive in the Future Chemical Industry
Expressing that the new era in global competition will be shaped not only by production volume but also by innovation and sustainability, Ahmet Güler stated that R&D investments, digitalization and green transition will be decisive in the future of the chemical sector.

"Today, countries and companies are evaluated not only by what they produce but also by how sustainable, innovative and reliable a supplier they are. R&D, digitalization, green transition and international collaborations will come to the forefront in the future of the chemical industry. Supporting Turkey's production capacity with high value-added products will further increase its competitive strength in the global market," he concluded.