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Turkiye: More than $1 billion 260 million were exported from the Eastern Black Sea region

Exports worth $1 billion 260 million 946 thousand 90 were made from Trabzon, Rize, Artvin and Gumushane in 11 months of the year.

Eastern Black Sea Exporters Association (DKIB) Chairman Saffet Kalyoncu said in his written statement that in the January-November period of 2023, $965 million 176 thousand of exports were made from Trabzon, $193 million 927 thousand from Rize, $58 million 536 thousand from Artvin, and $43 million 306 thousand from Gumushane.

Pointing out that there was a 1% increase in Trabzon’s exports and a 7% increase in Artvin’s exports compared to the same period of the previous year, Kalyoncu stated that there was an 11% decrease in Rize’s exports and a 29% decrease in Gumushane’s exports due to the decrease in mining products exports.

Kalyoncu pointed out that hazelnuts are one of the sectors with the most exports, with $479 million 954 thousand 687.

Kalyoncu stated that aquaculture and livestock products ranked second with $197 million 657 thousand 528. He noted that fresh fruits and vegetables came in third place with $197 million 162 thousand 710, mines and metals came in fourth place with $138 million 138 thousand 209, and chemicals and products came in fifth place with $39 million 36 thousand 851.

Underlining that $1 billion 260 million 946 thousand 90 of exports were made from the region in 11 months of the year, Kalyoncu stated that the 5 countries with the most exports were the Russian Federation, Italy, Georgia, Germany and the People’s Republic of China, respectively.

Stating that there was a significant increase in exports to Morocco, Iran, Finland, Mongolia and Malaysia, Kalyoncu stated that, unlike the same period last year, exports were made to 12 more countries, especially Iceland, Myanmar, Togo and Madagascar.

Kalyoncu stated that the high increases in export costs in the last months of 2023 negatively affected the competitiveness of the exporter, and this situation reduced the growth rate of exports.

Exporter support request

Kalyoncu pointed out that the contraction in demand, especially in the world markets, has made the competitive conditions in many markets difficult, but companies that can enter the markets with a price advantage can retain their customers. “However, due to cost increases, we have lost our price advantage and fallen behind many countries, and these markets have shifted to rival countries, which has started to have a negative impact on our exports. In this intensely competitive environment, supporting our exporters in terms of input costs is of great importance in order to ensure the continuity of our exports and protect our market shares.”

Kalyoncu stated that in this period, which is the second century of the Republic of Turkiye, the country’s exports should return to a production-oriented and high-technology industrial structure, and for this, exports should be accelerated with new incentive policies aimed at production and industry, and said:

“In order to ensure the balanced spread of high value-added industry throughout the country, especially in our Eastern Black Sea Region and Trabzon province, where there is a shortage of investment land, TOKI requests that new organized industrial zones and industrial zones to be established and allocated to investors with a certain payment plan, where they can establish their factories.”

Explaining that there is a shortage of land for investment in the Eastern Black Sea region, Kalyoncu continued as follows:

“The investment of the Arsin Investment Island Industrial Zone, which we have brought to the agenda many times, especially in Trabzon, whose establishment decision was published in 2019 and where high value-added products will be produced, should be started as soon as possible and allocated to industrialists. In addition, in order to maintain the continuity and increasing trend of our exports, it is of great urgency to make positive discrimination against exporters in accessing medium and long-term financing and to create support models that will enable exporters to compete in terms of cost increases. Today, exports provide the most important part of the foreign exchange input that our country needs, and positive discrimination in exports is among our top priority expectations.”

Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz

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