AHKİB Posts USD 30.8 Million in Exports

Mediterranean Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association (AHKİB) Board Chairman Gürkan Tekin announced that they achieved USD 30.8 million in exports during July.   Chairman Gürkan Tekin stated that they achieved a 3.6% increase in exports compared to the same month last year, reaching the highest export values in the Spanish, Dutch and German markets, and capturing the strongest performance in export volume in the Slovak market. Chairman Tekin said they would endeavor to raise export figures further by making the best use of opportunities emerging at the Istanbul Fashion Connection Ready-Made Clothing and Fashion Fair (IFCO), which will take place in the last week of August.

We will make the best use of opportunities

Chairman Tekin noted that they are making intense efforts to maintain their position in markets shrinking due to increasing recession concerns worldwide, and that their search for new markets continues without interruption. He underscored that the sector's initiatives with international organizations are very important during this process. Chairman Gürkan Tekin stated that over 5,000 qualified buyers from 100 countries are expected to participate in the Istanbul Fashion Connection Ready-Made Clothing and Fashion Fair, and that Istanbul Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association (İHKİB) and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) are supporters of this important organization. He continued as follows: "Our Turkish ready-made clothing and apparel sector aims to transform Anatolia into a sustainable, environmentally friendly green factory production base and position Istanbul as the center of the global ready-made clothing industry. Within this framework, our sector stakeholders attach great importance to the Istanbul Fashion Connection Ready-Made Clothing and Fashion Fair. As the AHKİB family, we are working in coordination with our sector stakeholders to fulfill our responsibilities in full. Our sector, which hosted nearly 600 domestic and foreign companies and over 12,000 foreign visitors at the fair held last February, expects the major event in the last week of August to have a leverage effect on the USD 40 billion ready-made clothing export target. The fair, for which very serious preparations are underway, is expected to attract 15,000 visitors, including 5,000 qualified buyers from EU member countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, Middle East and Gulf countries. We believe that AHKİB member companies will benefit from this fair, which brings together all product groups from women's, men's and children's clothing to underwear, wedding and evening dresses, leather and fur apparel under one roof, and will have a leverage effect on our export targets."

USD 1.62 billion export value

Chairman Gürkan Tekin stated that the Turkish ready-made clothing and apparel sector reached an export value of USD 1.62 billion in July, and the region's exports amounted to USD 30 million 834 thousand, continuing as follows: "In July, our Association, which carried out 76% of its exports to European countries, achieved the highest foreign sales values in the Spanish, Dutch and German markets. As AHKİB, we achieved USD 6.6 million in exports to Spain, USD 6.3 million to the Netherlands and USD 4.5 million to Germany. During the period in question, we captured the highest value in export volume in the Slovak market with a 103.318% increase and a value of USD 561 thousand. This country was followed by France with a 181% increase and a value of USD 2.6 million. In July, our Association marketed 3,212 tons of products in international markets, exporting primarily women's outerwear, men's outerwear and other ready-made goods. Our Association recorded USD 14.8 million in women's outerwear with a 7% decrease, USD 6.7 million in men's outerwear with a 22% increase, and USD 3.4 million in other ready-made goods with a 15% increase." Chairman Gürkan Tekin noted that in addition to shrinking markets, difficulties in accessing finance are increasing with each passing day, and during this transition period they are seeking greater support from the government both in facilitating access to appropriate financing and in increasing support amounts.