Plastics Industry Fuels Growth in Turkey's Exports in 2025

Despite global uncertainties, geopolitical risks and mounting cost pressures, the plastics sector achieved approximately USD 10 billion in exports in 2025, backed by robust production infrastructure, a broad product range and strong export capabilities. PLASFED Chairman Ömer Karadeniz emphasized that this success made a significant contribution to Turkey's overall export growth, demonstrating Turkish industry's production capacity, flexibility and global competitiveness.

Turkey achieved a historic export milestone in 2025 despite global economic uncertainties, regional conflicts and trade pressures. According to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), Turkey's exports reached USD 273.4 billion in 2025, rising 4.5% compared to the previous year. This performance once again demonstrated Turkish industry's production capacity, export capability and global competitiveness.

In 2025, the automotive sector provided the largest contribution to exports with USD 41.5 billion, while the chemicals and chemical products sector became Turkey's second-largest exporting sector with USD 31.9 billion in exports. The electrical-electronics sector ranked third with USD 17.7 billion in exports.
Within the chemicals and chemical products category, plastics and plastic products maintained a clear lead position in 2025 with USD 9.567 billion in exports. The plastics sector was followed by mineral fuels and mineral products with USD 7.133 billion in exports, while inorganic chemicals ranked third with USD 3.673 billion in exports.

"Plastics exports are growing"
Evaluating the 2025 export performance, PLASFED, the umbrella organization of the plastics sector, emphasized that despite global economic contraction, geopolitical risks and trade wars, the sector reached the highest export figures in the history of the Turkish Republic.

Karadeniz noted that the chemicals sector, with approximately USD 32 billion in exports, is Turkey's second-largest exporting sector, and highlighted that the strongest driving force behind this success is the plastics industry. Karadeniz stated: "In 2025, we in the plastics sector achieved approximately USD 10 billion in exports. This figure is a concrete indicator not only of our sector's strength, but of Turkish industry's production capacity, flexibility and resilience against crises. The plastics sector, with its high-tech-based production, broad product range and export capability, is one of the fundamental sectors sustaining Turkey's competitive strength in global markets."

Karadeniz also said: "The chemicals sector plays a critical role in Turkey's exports not only through its scale but through the high added value it creates. At the center of this value lies the plastics sector. The plastics industry is a strategic actor that provides the strongest support to the chemicals sector's export performance and enhances Turkey's global competitive strength."

Global conflicts impact trade
Chairman Karadeniz noted that ongoing wars, regional conflicts, disruptions in logistics routes and fluctuating energy costs are seriously affecting world trade, and that Turkish industrialists have fought hard during this difficult period.

Karadeniz said: "In the shadow of global conflicts, Turkish industrialists and exporters are writing veritable epics of heroism by refusing to abandon production and exports despite rising costs, difficulties in accessing finance and shrinking markets. Turkish exporters succeeded in protecting their markets and opening new ones despite all these challenges."

Emphasizing the importance of industry and export-focused policies for sustainable economic growth in Turkey, Karadeniz stated that the cost burden on industrialists must be reduced, access to finance must be facilitated, and structural reforms supporting exports must be rapidly implemented.