İKMİB Holds "Plastics Sector Workshop"

For the plastic sector, at an event organized by İKMİB in Çeşme on 20-22 September 2019, the future of the sector was discussed with the aim of preparing a roadmap in line with the objectives of retaining more added value in the country, reducing import dependence, ensuring supply security and continuity, and increasing sustainable global competitive strength in exports, as well as providing solutions to problems facing the sector. The "Plastic Workshop," which brought together sector representatives, was attended by 84 people including İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister, İKMİB Plastics Committee Chairman Mehmet Uysal, İKMİB representatives and representatives of leading companies in the sector, as well as representatives from the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Industry and Technology, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Trade, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Eximbank and Sector Associations.

Roadmap for plastic sector discussed

The two-day workshop featured a seminar titled "Value-Focused Communication," moderated by Koray Çelik from İzgören Akademi. During the round-table meetings held throughout the two-day workshop, important issues concerning the sector were addressed—including reducing import duties for raw materials not produced in Turkey and supporting companies wishing to manufacture these materials, removing bureaucratic obstacles stemming from regulations, developing educated and qualified personnel for the sector and fostering cooperation with universities for this purpose, recovering lost export markets, increasing the competence of Foreign Trade Representations and, if possible, concluding new free trade agreements, addressing key problems the sector faces in exports (competition, branding, price disadvantage), addressing recycling in all its dimensions (in terms of imports and exports), increasing incentives such as state-provided export fair participation support and frequently informing companies about these supports, protection measures related to imports of finished plastic products and high energy costs—with solution proposals and the sector's roadmap being discussed.