Turkish Leather Exporters Target Kazakhstan

Turkish Leather Exports Target Kazakhstan Ege Deri ve Deri Mamulleri ihracatçıları Birliği organized a sectoral trade mission with 19 Turkish companies in the footwear, handbags and accessories, and leather apparel sectors in Almaty, Kazakhstan between 3-5 October 2022. During the mission, a cooperation protocol was signed with Caspian University for the development of mutual projects.

Ege Deri ve Deri Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği Chairman Erkan Zandar, who stated that they have concentrated on the Kazakhstan market over the past year, made the following remarks on the subject:

"In October 2021, we organized a fact-finding mission to Kazakhstan and, after a year of preparations, implemented our sectoral trade mission. Kazakhstan stands out as a country with increasing trade volume and a strong economy. Turkish export products have high brand value in the region. At the same time, our strong cultural cooperation has a positive impact on trade between the two countries. Over three days, our 19 companies held bilateral business meetings with representatives of 256 Kazak buyer companies. We completed our Kazakhstan Sectoral Trade Mission Organization with high participation and new business connections." [caption id="attachment_146011" align="aligncenter"] Chairman of Leather and Leather Products Exporters Association Erkan Zandar[/caption]

Establishment of Fashion Design faculty and internship opportunities for Turkish-speaking Kazak students

Zandar, noting that Turkey's leather and leather products exports increased by 29 percent in 2021 to reach USD 1.726 billion, continued as follows: "We exported leather and leather products worth USD 43 million to Kazakhstan in 2021 with a 113 percent increase. In the 9-month period of 2022, our leather and leather products exports to Kazakhstan amount to USD 22 million. From 2019 to the end of 2021, our leather and leather products exports to Kazakhstan increased by 1000 percent. In September 2022, Kazakhstan ranks 9th in Turkey's overall exports, particularly in leather apparel. Kazakhstan is our sister country; we have deep historical ties. We aim to strengthen these rooted relations between the two countries further through academic-industry cooperation. For this reason, within the scope of the mission, we signed a cooperation protocol with Caspian University, one of Kazakhstan's best universities, for the development of mutual projects. We added to our agenda the opening of Turkish language classrooms, the establishment of a Fashion Design faculty within the university, and the provision of internship opportunities for Turkish-speaking Kazak students. We will meet shortly with Dokuz Eylül University and Economics University on content."  

Joint collections to be developed with Kazak designers

Erkan Zandar stated: "In the coming period, we plan to organize more activities in Kazakhstan with our different sectors. Our country has a serious background in leather products. As in the fashion sector, we have successful work in design as well. In addition to cooperating with Kazak companies, as Turkish leather industry we want to develop joint collections with Kazak designers. Following our successful buying mission, we have identified Kazakhstan as a new target market. After 1-3 March 2023, we have begun preparations for a new sectoral trade mission organization with greater participation from our companies." The opening ceremony of the mission and the university protocol signing ceremony were attended by our Consul General in Almaty Ali Rıza Akıncı, Azerbaijani Consul General in Almaty Anar Huseyinzade, Commercial Attachés Sıddık Kaya and Ekrem Alper Bozkurt, and Education Attaché Mahmut Ağırman.  

Exports exceeded USD 1.5 billion

Turkey's leather and leather products exports for the January-September 2022 period reached USD 1.534 billion with a 21 percent momentum. Footwear exports increased 19 percent to USD 915 million, leather goods increased 35 percent to USD 228 million, leather hides increased 15 percent to USD 221 million, and clothing from leather and fur increased 19 percent to USD 168 million. In the Aegean Region, we exported to 104 countries and regions in 9 months, reaching USD 149 million with a 22 percent increase. In the January-September 2022 period, in our footwear exports with a 36 percent increase of USD 91 million, Germany stood out with USD 12 million; in our leather apparel exports with a 15 percent increase of USD 20 million, France with USD 5 million; in our leather hide exports of USD 18 million, Portugal and India with USD 3 million; and in our leather goods exports of USD 18 million with a 41 percent increase, the Netherlands stood out with a 87 percent increase of USD 5 million. The top 5 countries in the Aegean Region's leather and leather products exports are: Germany with a 6 percent increase of USD 20 million, the Netherlands with a 32 percent increase of USD 13 million, the United Kingdom with 32 percent and the United States with a 13 percent increase of USD 11 million, and Italy with a 64 percent increase of USD 10 million.