TİM: "New Roadmap Targeted for Turkish Exports"

TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle stated in the Export 2021 Report, "This year, the transformation process in global supply chains and the opportunities and risks it could provide to our country were our main theme."

İsmail Gülle, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), said regarding the TİM Export 2021 Report they presented: "In the report, we conducted studies concerning both the present and future of exports. In our report, which will serve as a reference guide for our exporters, we aimed to draw a new roadmap for Turkish exports in the new period and establish a new vision." In his statement to the Anadolu Agency regarding the Export 2021 Report, Gülle expressed that through the report they wanted to provide professional support to exporters to adjust their positions according to commercial, economic and political developments in Turkey and worldwide, as well as emerging new trends. Gülle said they are working to enable exporters to focus more easily on production, employment and exports and to conduct their business more efficiently, noting that the report aims to prepare exporters for the transformation process the pandemic has brought to global trade. Stating that they conducted studies in the report concerning both the present and future of exports, Gülle said: "In our report, which will serve as a reference guide for our exporters, we aimed to draw a new roadmap for Turkish exports in the new period and establish a new vision. This year, the transformation process in global supply chains and the opportunities and risks it could provide to our country were our main theme." Gülle noted that they are undergoing a serious transformation in global supply chains and business processes, and they tried to address this topic in detail in the report, saying that exporters are doing their best to position themselves optimally in the new period following the pandemic, and the report is a product of this effort. Gülle explained their efforts to inform and raise awareness among exporters by seeking help from experts, academics and professionals on matters outside exporters' core business, and discussed work in this area.

"Turkey holds significant supply potential for Europe"

Noting that Turkey's geographical location is a natural opportunity for the country's exports, İsmail Gülle made the following remarks regarding other opportunities featured in the report: "As addressed in the section where we covered new trends in global trade, we believe the importance of nearshoring will increase. Turkey can reach a USD 30 trillion market with 1.6 billion population within a 4-hour flight distance. Our country is located at the intersection of production-intensive and demand-intensive centers, and regions rich in raw materials. We see that we can better utilize these natural advantages with our developing infrastructure." Noting that they highlighted "Turkey's opportunities in the transformation process of the global supply chain" in the report and focused on this issue, Gülle said that supply security, the nearshoring trend developing within the scope of emission limitations, proximity to Europe and the tax advantages provided by the Customs Union put them ahead. Referring to high freight rates, Gülle noted that Turkey carries very significant supply potential for Europe and is the most important potential country for Europe in nearshoring in the face of high freight rates.

"We must read the transformation in global supply chains well"

TİM Chairman Gülle emphasized that Turkey and especially exporters need to properly understand the "transformation process in global supply chains," and must position themselves optimally in the new environment created with the pandemic. Stating that policies related to sustainable development are processes that exporters must follow, Gülle said: "Green transition in the shift to a green economy is certainly a topic we must work on carefully. In our main export markets, especially the EU, sharp decisions are being taken on this matter. We need to reorganize our production in line with carbon neutrality targets." Gülle noted that another issue is the "digital transformation process and cybersecurity matter," saying that companies must not overlook the digital transformation process accelerated by the pandemic and must not neglect cybersecurity.   Source: AA