Türkiye Ayakkabı Sanayicileri Derneği Calls on Nike

With the global pandemic, the world trade experienced a raw materials crisis, followed by container shortages due to logistics problems, which adversely affected supply chains and production across nearly all sectors against intense consumption demand by users. In response to this global issue affecting the footwear industry, it is noted that Nike, one of the leading U.S. footwear manufacturers, which outsources 51 percent of sports shoe production to Vietnam, experienced a 10-week production loss due to factory closures in that country. In assessments on the subject, Turkey Footwear Manufacturers Association President Berke İçten stated, "While these developments are occurring worldwide, especially European suppliers in our immediate geography have redirected their sourcing from the Far East to Turkey." İçten noted, "Among countries that account for more than 70 percent of global footwear production such as China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, Turkey ranks as the sixth largest producer. We are diversifying our export markets by viewing rising freight costs and disrupted supply chains as an opportunity. It now takes months for a product to be manufactured and shipped from the Far East. However, products from Turkey can be manufactured and shipped in much shorter timeframes. Large retail chains and purchasing groups aware of Turkey's production capacity and potential have begun coming to Turkey. Western Europe currently represents serious potential for us. Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are important wholesale countries globally. We have begun achieving growth in Western European countries," he said.

"An open call to Nike and global brands"

TASD President Berke İçten stated, "Turkey holds an important position as a production center, particularly because it is located right next to Europe. Within a 65 billion dollar market in footwear trade located a 3.5 to 4-hour flight from our country." İçten continued, "In 2014, when Turkey introduced an additional tariff on imported footwear, we foresaw that global brands would come to Turkey to produce, and today we see that our foresight was not mistaken. Many foreign brands now manufacture in Turkey. New Balance, Lacoste, Skechers and many others are also in the negotiation stage. This week, together with our TASD management board members, we visited the production facility of Prolab Ayakkabı, the Turkish manufacturer of Skechers, one of America's largest brands in the sports shoe category. Skechers, which has reached a daily production capacity of 2,000 pairs of sports shoes at this factory, represents quite a good example for our country. We also want to make an open call as an association to Nike and other global brands. We are ready to establish all necessary infrastructure for them to position themselves in Turkey as a new production center. We are also ready to take our share of responsibility as an association on this matter. We commit to establishing a production center with international standards for Nike and other global brands," he said.

"We increased our exports by 23 percent in October"

In assessments regarding export agenda, TASD President Berke İçten stated, "In our footwear product group exports, a 23 percent increase was recorded in the January-October 2021 period compared to the same period of the previous year. It is very clear that we will close this year with exports exceeding 1 billion dollars," he expressed. İçten concluded, "During the January-October 2021 period, Russia was our largest export market, Iraq was second and Germany was third. It is evident that during the January-October 2021 period, we recorded increases in our exports to Spain, Romania, Israel, Italy, England, Libya and the Netherlands."