Mining Exports Set Record at $6 Billion

Record Broken With USD 6 Billion in Mining Exports Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez stated that 2021 was a year filled with successes for the energy and mining sector, saying: "In 2021, we broke the record in the history of the Republic with USD 5.93 billion in mining exports." Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez attended the 2021 Mining Export Evaluation Meeting held at a hotel in Ankara. Making a statement there, Minister Dönmez expressed that 2021, spent in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, was a year filled with successes for the energy and mining sector, emphasizing that a major export-driven surge was experienced as the mining sector entered a normalization period.

"This year we broke the record in the history of the Republic with USD 5.93 billion in mining exports"

Minister Dönmez continued his remarks as follows: "This year we broke the record in the history of the Republic with USD 5.93 billion in mining exports. Our ministry is known for records and investments. Of course, every new record brings us a new responsibility. That is the obligation to set the bar even higher in the following year. We trust in our mining sector's accumulated knowledge, technology, and human resources, and we know that our sector is ambitious in this regard." he said.

"The minerals providing us with the largest trade surplus are natural stone, boron, trona, chromium+ferrochromium, feldspar and salt"

Minister Dönmez pointed out that a proportional decline in all exported mineral items was a gratifying situation, saying, "Our mineral exports show a balanced distribution across sub-items. The minerals providing us with the largest trade surplus are natural stone, boron, trona, chromium+ferrochromium, feldspar and salt ore." he stated.

"In 2021, we achieved a USD 2 billion trade surplus in gold"

Minister Dönmez drew attention to another piece of good news coming from gold, saying, "In 2021, we achieved USD 7.6 billion in gold exports and USD 5.6 billion in imports. What does this mean? For the first time since 2017, we had a trade deficit in gold, and this year we achieved approximately USD 2 billion in trade surplus." he said.

"Mining's contribution to GDP in 2020 increased six-fold to TRY 60 billion"

Minister Dönmez recalled that in 2009, the mining sector's contribution to gross domestic product was TRY 11 billion, and stated that in 2020 this figure increased six-fold to TRY 59.2 billion. "Our priority is to meet our industry's needs from domestic sources as much as possible" Expressing that mineral independence holds the same vital importance as energy independence, Dönmez said, "Minerals are our future. Especially now that we have shifted to a production and export-oriented growth model, the importance of mining as one of the main business sectors feeding industry will increase even further. Our priority is to meet our industry's needs from domestic sources as much as possible." he said. Following the remarks by Istanbul Mining Exporters Association (İMİB) Chair Aydın Dinçer and Minister Dönmez, the meeting concluded with the attendance of Deputy Minister Prof. Dr. Şeref Kalaycı, Director of Natural Resources Leman Çetiner, General Director of Mining and Petroleum Affairs (MAPEG) Cevat Genç, General Director of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yasin Erdoğan, General Director of ETİ Maden Serkan Keleşer and General Director of Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ) Dr. Hasan Hüseyin Erdoğan and numerous sector representatives.