Automotive Exports March 2021

Turkish exporters
break a new record,
automotive exports
lead the way
Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), which
is the only umbrella organization of 100
thousand exporters with 61 Exporters’
Association and 27 sectors, announced the
temporary foreign trade data for February
with the participation of Trade Minister
Ruhsar Pekcan and members of the TİM
Women’s Council, at a meeting in Ankara.
According to the General Trading System
(GTS), exports in February reached 16
billion 12 million dollars, an increase of
9.6 percent compared to the same month
of the previous year, making the highest
February export in history.
Evaluating February export figures, TİM
Chairman İsmail Gülle said, “After January,
which we closed with a record in exports,
the export family also showed a very
successful performance in February. We
have closed the last three months in a
succession with a record. In February,
our exports amounted to 16 billion 12
million dollars, up 9.6 percent from the
same month last year. In January and
February 2020, we made a good start and
set successive records. Likewise, we are
proud of the record renewal in the first two
months of 2021. Hopefully, we will reach
200 billion dollars, which is much higher
than our export target of 184 billion dollars
for 2021. Our exporters continue to work,
produce, export without slowing down.
We believe that the maximum benefit
of our country from the change in global
supply chains will be possible by frequently
meeting our exporters with buyers from all
over the world.”
Gülle said that 1,538 companies exported
for the first time in February and that
these companies, which had just started to
export, exported 70 million 480 thousand
dollars last month, and 40,616 companies
in total exported in February.
Emphasizing that 22 sectors increased
their exports in February compared to the
same month last year, Gülle said, “While
our automotive sector, which exports 2
billion 536 million dollars, maintains its
leadership; Our Chemicals sector, which
reached 1 billion 679 million dollars, was
second and our ready-to-wear sector,
which reached 1 billion 517 million dollars,
was third. The sectors that achieved
the strongest increase performance of
February were Mining, which reached
415.6 million dollars with an increase of
47 percent, Defense and Aerospace, which
reached 233.2 million dollars with an
increase of 34 percent. The Ornamental
Plants sector reached 16.3 million dollars
with an increase of 25 percent. If we look
at the dramatic increases in our sectors in
February; Our steel industry increased its
exports to Brazil by 2 thousand 333 percent
and its exports to the United Kingdom
by 510 percent. Our Electrical-Electronic
sector increased its exports to Uzbekistan
by 470 percent in February. Our Chemicals
exports increased by 418 percent to
Nigeria.”
Stating that since May last year, they have
been held 55 virtual trade delegations and
10 virtual fairs in 50 countries, Gülle said,
“Hopefully, we plan to continue our physical
delegations in the summer months. With
these delegations, we are building the
future of our exports. With its successful
export performance, our country has
started to be exemplary all over the world.
We will continue to work with a stronger
belief and determination every day, with
the awareness of how important export is
for our economy, without compromising.
Our passion for export will never end.”
Noting that another important issue for
export is market access, Gülle said, “To
facilitate the access of our exporters
to markets all over the world, we have
reached the final stage in our efforts to
establish Turkish Logistics Centers. We plan
to establish these logistics centers in Los
Angeles, New Orleans, and Georgia in the
USA and Africa, Ghana.
We have determined these positions
in consultation with all our Exporters’
Associations and Secretaries-General,
considering sectoral clusters, in such a way
that our exporter will benefit the maximum.
These logistics centers will fold our exports
to the regions where they are established.
It will support our exporter in remote
markets.”
March 2021 50