Turkish Exporters Set to Eye Asian Markets to Compensate Regional Losses
Turkish exporters are set to eye markets in Indonesia, China and India as demand from the Middle East and North Africa markets drop due to political turmoil in the region.
“As a result of developments in the Middle East, domestic exporters began aiming to be more efficient in exports to Indonesia, China and India,” Mehmet Büyükekşi, chairman of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, or TİM, said during a press conference Sunday.
The Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, or TİM, announced the exports results of April in the southeastern province of Gaziantep.
“During April, Turkey’s exports to Libya decreased by 98 percent, to Bahrain by 80 percent and to Lebanon by 39 percent,” Büyükekşi told journalists. “Exports made to Algeria and Egypt also decreased by 18 percent. Turkey’s exports registered a 10 percent drop to Qatar and 8 percent to Saudi Arabia, according to the April results.”
However, Turkey’s volume of exports hit the highest April figures last month since the foundation of the Turkish Republic, according to Büyükekşi.
Turkey’s total exports in April reached $11.8 billion, representing a 25.45 percent increase compared with the same period last year, Büyükekşi said.
“During the first four months of the year, Turkey’s exports have been $43.3 billion with a 22.21 percent rise, compared to same period a year earlier,” Büyükekşi said
Syria still shining
“Despite the political turmoil, Turkey’s exports to Syria increased by 35 percent in April,” Büyükekşi told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
The nation’s exports to Morocco increased by 51 percent, to Yemen by 47 percent and to Iraq by 34 percent in April, he added.
“Even though our exports to this region decreased in the short-term, Turkish exporters will remain strong there in the middle and long-terms,” Büyükekşi said. “We have studies on South Africa and Indonesia. We had a visit to India last week. In the upcoming days, we will try to be more efficient in China, Indonesia and India.”
Büyükekşi also commented on a new Iraqi regulation that demands certificates for every item of exported goods.
“We sent a delegation to Iraq. Still, there is no result in this issue. The decision of the central government in Baghdad is important. The situation does not include Northern Iraq,” he said.
Turkish exporters said earlier last week that the implementation would increase costs at least $100 per truck to enter the country.
“The Iraqi side mentioned that this was not special to Turkey. They aim to prevent unqualified goods entering, especially from Iran and China,” Büyükekşi said.
The automotive sector ranked first in April exports with a total of $1.79 billion, followed by chemical substances and products with $1.6 billion, according to data from the TİM.
May 1, 2011
SOURCE: Hürriyet Daily News
