Workshop by İKMİB for the Cosmetics and Cleaning Products Sector

Workshop on Cosmetics and Cleaning Products Sector by İKMİB The Future Research Workshop for the Cosmetics and Cleaning Products Sector, organized by the Istanbul Chemical Exporters Association (İKMİB), was held in Antalya on 29-30 October 2021. The workshop evaluated the current state of the sector and addressed its future. The first sectoral workshop, addressing problems and solution proposals for İKMİB's sub-sectors as well as detailed discussion of the sector's expectations, was held on 29-30 October 2021 for the cosmetics and cleaning products sector. The "Future Research Workshop for the Cosmetics and Cleaning Products Sector" held in Antalya under İKMİB's auspices was attended by İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister, İKMİB Vice Chairman Mehmet İmer Özer, İKMİB Board Member Uğur Adıyaman and İMMİB General Secretary Dr. Selahattin Armağan Vurdu, as well as representatives from 34 companies in the cosmetics and cleaning products sector, officials from the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Treasury and Finance, İKMİB representatives and representatives of sectoral associations. On the first day of the workshop bringing together sector representatives from cosmetics and cleaning products, 29 October Republic Day was also celebrated enthusiastically. During the two-day workshop, strategies to develop and advance the sector as well as issues related to sector problems and solutions were addressed. The workshop opened with a moment of silence and the National Anthem in honor of Republic Day. In the opening speech, İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister recalled that after the last workshop held in 2019, the pandemic period began, noting that everyone still feels some of its material and psychological effects. Pelister stated that psychological concerns were experienced during the pandemic and that difficulties in the supply of health products such as alcohol shortages and mask shortages, as well as global supply chain disruptions, significantly affected the sector. "As the cosmetics sector, we realized there is much work to be done. We will work together with all our dedication. As the chemical sector, we will increase our exports from USD 18.3 billion in 2020 to over USD 24 billion this year. Together with our 16 sub-sectors, we supply raw materials or semi-finished products to 27 sectors. To further increase our exports, we organize many events such as trade fairs, business delegations, R&D and design project competitions, innovation projects, committee meetings, and export star awards ceremonies. As İKMİB, to produce high-technology and value-added products, we need to produce ourselves the raw materials and semi-finished products on which we depend on imports for more than 70 percent of our total chemical exports. This is why we are making every effort to produce and export so that our chemistry sector, which has achieved sustainable second-place ranking in our country's exports in 2019 and 2020, can take the place it deserves in the world," he said. Pelister continued: "We have undertaken work as İKMİB to produce in our country chemical raw materials that are imported for over USD 50 million and not produced in Turkey. We contributed to placing 98 out of 103 chemical products in the Industry and Technology Ministry's call program. We are rapidly advancing our work to establish Turkey's first Chemistry Technology Center, where our exporters can obtain international certificates and test reports needed especially for exports to Western countries faster and more cost-effectively. We are bringing to life a pioneering Chemistry Technology Center with many features including internationally accredited laboratories, digital libraries, start-up areas and R&D consulting services for our companies, particularly SMEs. In this center, our cosmetics sector and our plastics, rubber and paints sub-sectors will work on the areas they need. We hope to open it for service very soon. We wish for a quick normalization of the ongoing commodity price increases and logistics difficulties in the world, we thank all our friends who contributed to this workshop, and we wish that our cosmetics and cleaning products workshop be auspicious, successful and pleasant," he said. İKMİB Vice Chairman M. İmer Özer presented information to participants through his presentation on the exports of the cosmetics and cleaning products sector, the activities carried out by İKMİB and initiatives regarding sector problems and their solutions. İKMİB Board Member Uğur Adıyaman also provided information about the status of projects planned for the cosmetics sector, particularly e-commerce.