FoodTurkey-September-October-2018

Turkish exporters urge
for building stronger food
brands in Japan
“Turkish bulgur
may replace rice in
Japan.”
Turkish exporters are determined
to strengthen their brand perception
in Japan, said Chairman of the
Mediterranean Exporters’ Association.
“Our aim is to be chosen for our
quality, not for our cheap price. So
we want to strengthen the image of
Turkish goods,” Ali Can Yamanyilmaz
told during the Turkish Food Festival
held in the Japanese capital Tokyo.
Yamanyilmaz said tough markets
such as Japan are an important opportunity
for Turkish food brands to
improve themselves.
“The packaging and presentation
of products is as important as the
product itself in Japanese markets,
which have tight controls and standards,”
he said.
Stating that no country consumes
more rice than Japan, Yamanyilmaz
added: “Turkish bulgur may replace
rice in Japan.”
Yamanyilmaz noted that among Turkey’s
most-exported food products
to Japan are fishery and aquaculture
products, cereals, fresh fruits and
Ali Can Yamanyılmaz,
Chairman of the Mediterranean Exporters’ Association
vegetables, olive oil, juice, and sugar
products. Underlining that foreign
trade between the two countries
is not balanced, he stated that the
ratio of Turkey’s exports to imports
from Japan should be increased to
25 percent from its current figure of
around 10 percent.
In 2017, Turkey’s exports to Japan
stood at $411.5 million, versus imports
from Japan at $4.3 billion, according
to the Turkish Statistical Institute
(TurkStat).
During Turkish Food Festival, some
27 members of the Mediterranean
Exporters’ Association met with
Japanese caterers and supermarket
representatives. More than 300
B2B meetings were held during the
festival, which hosted 44 prominent
Japanese food importers.
16 FOOD TURKEY September/October 2018