Harvard Center for Textile & Apparel Research

B.Tan Overview of the Turkish Textile and Apparel Industry 16
Although the apparel exports haven been concentrated mainly in the European Union
and USA with a combined share of 78% of Turkish apparel exports, textile exports are more
distributed across the European Union, USA, East Europe and Middle East with a share of
81%.
The textile exports to North Africa increased almost 80% in 1998, possibly, because of
increasing apparel exports from North Africa to Europe with Turkish textiles.
Italy is the largest market for Turkish textiles with a market share of 12% in 1999.
Germany is the largest market for Turkish apparel and the third largest market for textiles
(Table 10 and 11) with 8% share of textiles and 38% of apparels in 1999.
The United States is the second largest market for the Turkish apparel following
Germany (Table 11). Turkey is the twentieth largest apparel (1997) and the twelfth largest
textile supplier of the United States (1999). The exports to the United States have been
increasing in recent years.
The major textile suppliers of Turkey are Germany with a share of 13% in Turkey’s
textile imports followed by Italy, S. Korea, and USA (Table 11). Most of Turkey’s apparel
imports are from Italy with a share of 26% of Total apparel imports followed by China,
England, and Germany (Table 12).
Table 10. Largest Markets for Turkey’s Textile Exports
Value % in Turkey’s Textile Exports
1997 1998 1999 1997 1998 1999
Italy $319,420,783 $320,641,158 $340,327,710 12% 11% 12%
England $269,207,554 $253,182,304 $233,633,323 10% 9% 9%
Germany $219,759,213 $214,743,923 $228,918,321 8% 8% 8%
USA $176,467,209 $194,617,114 $221,781,655 6% 7% 8%
France $132,279,100 $164,689,800 $144,685,900 5% 6% 5%
Algeria $23,194,211 $54,875,943 $80,290,678 1% 2% 3%
Israel $55,089,707 $67,587,312 $79,475,948 2% 2% 3%
Belgium-Lux. $60,887,168 $77,440,407 $76,537,066 2% 3% 3%
Spain $48,336,351 $54,486,369 $75,600,261 2% 2% 3%
Greece $41,859,670 $58,339,246 $74,321,838 2% 2% 3%
Saudi Arabia $72,099,398 $66,764,419 $62,397,977 3% 2% 2%
Syria $105,766,818 $100,163,440 $60,417,810 4% 4% 2%
Source: The Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade Reports (1999) [8]