Turkey Exporting Worldwide Despite Shaky World Market
April 20, 2004
NEW YORK - Since emerging onto the export scene two decades ago, Turkeys textile industry has burgeoned into a major player in the global textile and apparel marketplace.
Turkeys textile and apparel suppliers expect to export $3.8 billion worth of goods in 2004, up from $3 billion in 2002. Turkey ranks among the top ten global producers of cotton, wool cloth, carpets, synthetic filament and fiber, polyester and polyamide filament. It is the worlds third largest mohair producer, and has the sixth largest capacity for synthetics, according to DEIK, Turkeys Foreign Economic Relations Board.
Recently manufacturers have invested [in] increasing production capacity especially in polyester production, a DEIK source said.
The Bursa region of Turkey reported textile exports increased 29 percent, from $37.7 million to $48.7 million, between February 2003 and February 2004. The region exported textiles to seven free zones and 81 countries and autonomous regions. The entire country exported textile products to eight free zones and 115 countries and autonomous regions. The largest export market for Turkish textile goods is the European Union, accounting for about 65 percent of Turkeys total textile and apparel exports. Germany takes the lions share - Turkeys exports to Germany reached a high of $4.8 billion in 2003. Exports to Italy and Spain also increased. Turkey is the EUs largest textile supplier, and is second to China as the largest EU clothing supplier. Turkey is solidifying its export status in Europe by improving its legal and economic structures to match European standards in anticipation of admission into the EU.
The U.S. is Turkeys second largest market. It bought about 35 percent of Turkeys total exports last year - over $3 billion worth, according to Turkish statistics. Between 1997 and 2002, U.S. textile and apparel imports from Turkey increased by nearly 90 percent. Turkish companies will compete for an even greater share of the $75 billion U.S. textile and apparel imports market in the next few years. The U.S. has been moving its textile production offshore at such a fast clip, that the Economic Relations Board estimates that by 2005 U.S. textile consumption will increase by 200 percent while self-sufficiency in textile production will decrease by 32 percent.
Turkey has yet to reach its potential in its trade with the United States, a Turkish diplomat said.
The Uludag Exporters Association reported gains in Romania and Poland in 2003. Russia showed a modest 7 percent rise; because so much of the trade with Russia is off the books, that figure is likely larger, Knitting International reported.
Russia is still a promising market for textile and apparel sectors with its high consumption potential that will come out in the following years especially after developments towards better integration to the world economy and WTO membership prospects, a Foreign Economic Relations Board official said.
Turkey reported over a 400 percent rise in exports to Malaysia, and increases in exports to Libya and Syria as well. It has begun to export to Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Middle East, Eastern Europe and CIS countries.
Turkeys textile and apparel suppliers expect to export $3.8 billion worth of goods in 2004, up from $3 billion in 2002. Turkey ranks among the top ten global producers of cotton, wool cloth, carpets, synthetic filament and fiber, polyester and polyamide filament. It is the worlds third largest mohair producer, and has the sixth largest capacity for synthetics, according to DEIK, Turkeys Foreign Economic Relations Board.
Recently manufacturers have invested [in] increasing production capacity especially in polyester production, a DEIK source said.
The Bursa region of Turkey reported textile exports increased 29 percent, from $37.7 million to $48.7 million, between February 2003 and February 2004. The region exported textiles to seven free zones and 81 countries and autonomous regions. The entire country exported textile products to eight free zones and 115 countries and autonomous regions. The largest export market for Turkish textile goods is the European Union, accounting for about 65 percent of Turkeys total textile and apparel exports. Germany takes the lions share - Turkeys exports to Germany reached a high of $4.8 billion in 2003. Exports to Italy and Spain also increased. Turkey is the EUs largest textile supplier, and is second to China as the largest EU clothing supplier. Turkey is solidifying its export status in Europe by improving its legal and economic structures to match European standards in anticipation of admission into the EU.
The U.S. is Turkeys second largest market. It bought about 35 percent of Turkeys total exports last year - over $3 billion worth, according to Turkish statistics. Between 1997 and 2002, U.S. textile and apparel imports from Turkey increased by nearly 90 percent. Turkish companies will compete for an even greater share of the $75 billion U.S. textile and apparel imports market in the next few years. The U.S. has been moving its textile production offshore at such a fast clip, that the Economic Relations Board estimates that by 2005 U.S. textile consumption will increase by 200 percent while self-sufficiency in textile production will decrease by 32 percent.
Turkey has yet to reach its potential in its trade with the United States, a Turkish diplomat said.
The Uludag Exporters Association reported gains in Romania and Poland in 2003. Russia showed a modest 7 percent rise; because so much of the trade with Russia is off the books, that figure is likely larger, Knitting International reported.
Russia is still a promising market for textile and apparel sectors with its high consumption potential that will come out in the following years especially after developments towards better integration to the world economy and WTO membership prospects, a Foreign Economic Relations Board official said.
Turkey reported over a 400 percent rise in exports to Malaysia, and increases in exports to Libya and Syria as well. It has begun to export to Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Middle East, Eastern Europe and CIS countries.
