AHKİB Exceeds $32 Million in Exports

AHKİB Exports Exceed USD 32 Million Mediterranean Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association Chairman Tekin: "We expect support for digitalization and sustainability investments" Gürkan Tekin, Chairman of the Board of the Mediterranean Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association (AHKİB), which is affiliated with the Mediterranean Exporters Associations (AKİB), stated that in May they achieved USD 32.6 million in exports, representing a 40.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Noting that 63 percent of the region's exports in the fifth month of the year were concentrated in the markets of the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, Chairman Gürkan Tekin stated that they achieved the strongest export growth in Romania, Greece and the United Kingdom. Stating that the ready-made clothing and apparel sector ranks among Turkey's strategically important sectors in terms of value-added production, employment and export strength, AHKİB Chairman Gürkan Tekin said that the process must be supported with appropriate financing to enable companies to implement digitalization and sustainability investments.

Noting that the size of the Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF) is insufficient during a period when capital needs are increasing, and that the defined limits at Eximbank also need to be raised, Chairman Tekin stated: "In an environment where raw material, energy and freight costs are constantly rising, our ready-made clothing and apparel companies are using their capital for commodity purchases and other inputs. Access to financing for digitalization and sustainability investments is becoming increasingly difficult with each passing month.

However, since our main market is the European Union, the EU Green Deal lies ahead of us. Renewable energy sources are now very important in complying with green transition criteria. We expect accessible incentives for the implementation of solar power plant investments that will both enable the transition and reduce energy costs," he explained.

  Egypt is Very Important for Market Diversification Chairman Tekin stated that Africa will be one of the important markets for the Turkish ready-made clothing and apparel sector, which is targeting USD 25 billion in exports, that Egypt will be one of the main entry points to the region, and that they attach great importance to the process of normalizing relations with this country. Noting that Egypt's assignment of Turkey's ambassador after a 9-year hiatus in April, following regime change during the Arab Spring, and Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati's visit to Sharm El-Sheikh in early June for the Islamic Development Bank Governors Council Annual Meetings are very important steps in demonstrating that relations between the two countries are rapidly beginning to normalize, Chairman Tekin stated: "Our sector, which exports to 39 of Africa's 54 countries, is focusing on this continent to increase market diversification. For our sector, which is developing toward a structure based on competition based on quality, technology, R&D, innovation, design and branded product exports rather than price-based competition, the African market with a population exceeding 1 billion 300 million has great importance.

I believe that our sector, which is strong in the markets of Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, will achieve much more significant gains with accelerated normalization and strengthened trade diplomacy. As ready-made clothing and apparel exporters, we want to use the appropriate conditions for our benefit and for the benefit of African people. We are closely following the normalization process between Turkey and Egypt, which is a very important gateway to the African market," he stated.

  Markets Where We Have Increased Our Exports 31-Fold Detailing the Turkish ready-made clothing and apparel sector's May performance and regional exports for the same period, Chairman Tekin stated: "In May, our sector's exports for all of Turkey reached USD 1.33 billion with a 3 percent increase, and our regional exports reached USD 32.6 million with a 40.5 percent increase. In this month, our Association marketed 3,581 tons of products in international markets, with the countries where we made the highest foreign sales being the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. We achieved USD 8.2 million in exports to the Netherlands, USD 6.7 million to Spain, and USD 5.4 million to Germany. We achieved record increases reaching up to 3,137 percent in the markets of Romania, Greece and the United Kingdom. When we evaluated our export performance by product groups during the period in question, women's outerwear ranked first with a 45 percent increase and a value of USD 15.5 million. This was followed by men's outerwear with a 98 percent increase and a value of USD 5.5 million, and cotton home textiles with a 48 percent increase and a value of USD 4 million. We achieved the highest percentage increases in men's underwear, other bedding apparel, synthetic home textiles, other sports and swimwear, and clothing accessories," he stated.