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Ready-to-wear and apparel industry broke a record with 4-month export performance

The ready-made clothing and apparel industry achieved the highest 4-month export of all time with $6 billion 336 million 207 thousand in the January-April period.

According to the data of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), despite the epidemic, Turkey’s exports increased by 109% in April compared to the same month last year and amounted to $18.8 billion. With this value, it reached the highest April export figure of all time and the second-highest monthly export of all years. January-April period exports increased by 33.1% to $68.8 billion.

With the impact of the epidemic on exports in April of last year, the ready-to-wear and apparel industry, which exports $573 million 278 thousand, reached $1 billion 632 million 42 thousand with an increase of 184.7% in the same period of 2021. The sector also signed exports of $6 billion 336 million 207 thousand with an increase of 32.3% in the January-April period of this year.

$1 billion 108 million 812 thousand of the exports realized by the sector last month was made from Istanbul. Istanbul was followed by Bursa with $145 million 474 thousand and Izmir with $117 million.

Most exports to Germany

Last month, Germany was the country with the most exports in the ready-made clothing and apparel industry, with $254 million 62 thousand. Germany was followed by Spain with $228 million 505 thousand and the United Kingdom with $167 million 315 thousand.

Looking at the country groups with the highest exports in the sector last month, EU countries ranked first with $947 million 743 thousand, other European countries with $222 million 329 thousand, and Middle Eastern countries ranked third with $170 million 261 thousand.

According to TIM data, the ready-made clothing and apparel industry, which exports to 225 countries and regions in March, has a share of 8.7% from the country’s total exports in the same period.

“We are proud to break a record in 4 months of export”

TIM Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters Association (IHKIB) Mustafa Gultepe, in a statement to the AA correspondent, stated that it would be more accurate to compare April data with 2019 due to the artificial effect of the epidemic on exports in April of last year, “We are 8.6% higher this year compared to April 2019. Although we could not reach the desired capacity in April, we can evaluate the result we achieved in exports as a success.”

Stating that they are proud to break a record in 4-month exports, Gultepe said:

“In the January-April period, we achieved the highest 4-month sectoral export performance of all time with $6 billion 336 million 207 thousand. In the first 4 months of this year, we are 32.3% more than 2020 and 5.5% compared to 2019. Despite the epidemic-induced lockdown measures, the 4-month results in exports to our top 3 markets have made us hopeful for the upcoming period. We reached $1.1 billion in exports to our largest market, Germany, with an increase of 23.6% in 4 months compared to the same period of the previous year. In 4 months, we exported $798.7 million to Spain and $577.4 million to the UK. Compared to last year, we exported 39.2% more to Spain and 33.7% more to the UK.”

“Our 4-month exports to the USA increased by 53%”

Mustafa Gultepe said that the increase trend in exports to the USA, the world’s largest garment importer, continues without slowing down, and that 4-month exports to the USA reached $267.1 million with an increase of 53% compared to the previous year.

Stating that the start of vaccination studies, although not yet at the desired pace, made them look more optimistic for the rest of the year, Gultepe said, “I believe that the normalization will accelerate as of July in parallel with the increase in vaccination options. If we do not encounter a new setback, I anticipate that we, as the industry, will close the year 2021 with an export of over $18 billion.”

Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz

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