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Ready-to-wear and apparel industry maintained its third place in exports

Ready-to-wear and apparel, which exported $1 billion 516 million 935 thousand in February of last year, became the third sector with the highest export by signing $1 billion 517 million 344 thousand in the same period of 2021.

According to the data of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM), Turkey’s exports last month reached $16 billion 12 million with an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period of 2020 despite the epidemic, reaching the highest export figure in February.

Ready-to-wear and apparel, which exported $1 billion 516 million 935 thousand in February last year, became the third sector with the highest export with a limited increase of $1 billion 517 million 344 thousand in the same period of this year.

$1 billion 34 million 759.94 thousand of the exports made by the sector last month was made from Istanbul. Istanbul was followed by Bursa with $118 million 797 thousand and Izmir with $116 million 903 thousand.

Most exports to EU countries

Last month, the country with the most exports in the ready-to-wear and apparel industry was Germany with $274 million 49.89 thousand. Germany was followed by Spain with $185 million 472.65 thousand and the United Kingdom with $130 million 133.92 thousand.

Looking at the country groups with the highest exports in the sector, EU countries ranked first with $931 million 940.66 thousand, other European countries with $171 million 764.38 thousand, and Middle Eastern countries ranked third with $131 million 329.68 thousand.

According to TIM data, the ready-to-wear and apparel industry, which exported to 227 countries and regions in February, took 10.4 shares of the country’s total exports in the same period.

“The increasing trend in our exports to the USA continues in 2021”

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 Turkey makes 70% of its ready-to-wear exports to EU countries and the United Kingdom, and added saying, “We could not achieve our target in February, as lockdown measures continue in the EU countries, especially in Germany, and the United Kingdom.”

Gultepe stated that they closed February 2021 with an export of $1 billion 517 million, at par with February 2020, although it was one day shorter than last year’s February.

“Our exports in the January-February period, on the other hand, increased by 9 per thousand compared to the same period of the previous year and reached $3 billion. On the basis of quantity, we increased 2.4% in February and 2.3% in the January-February period. Despite the lockdown measures, we displayed a positive performance in exports to EU countries in February. Our exports to the EU increased by 7.9% in February and 6.2% in the first 2 months.

The increasing trend in our exports to the United States, the world’s largest importer of ready-to-wear clothing, continues in 2021. In the first 2 months, our exports to the USA increased by 28.6% to $123.1 million. In addition to the USA, Poland, Kazakhstan, Czechia and Austria stood out as the markets where we achieved high export growth. In the 2-month period, our exports to Poland increased by 25%, to Kazakhstan 58.1%, to Czechia by 116% and to Austria by 61%.”

“We exported about $176 million of masks and protective clothing in the first 2 months.”

Stating that the United Kingdom, which left the EU, stood out among the countries where exports contracted in the first 2 months, Mustafa Gultepe explained that in the January-February period, exports to the UK shrank by 7.7%, and exports to Iraq, Israel, Belgium, and Russia, which are among the major markets, also declined in the first two months.

Stating that the contribution of masks and protective clothing to exports continues this year, Gultepe stated that they exported approximately $176 million of masks and protective clothing in the first 2 months.

Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz

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