Massive Export of 4.6 Billion Dollars from Istanbul Exporters

Istanbul exporters increased their exports by 30.5 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. They achieved this by exporting 4 billion 568 million dollars in the first five months of 2022 with its seven exporters’ associations.

Istanbul Exporters’ Associations (İİB) became the second union that increased its exports at the highest rate among other general associations. İİB Coordinator Chairman Müjdat Sezer said, “İİB’s exports grew above the Turkey average. We anticipate that this success will continue in June. And that we will close the first half of the year with an increase in exports.”

Iraq, the USA, And Norway Were the Most Exported Countries

In the first five months of the year, Iraq made the highest amount of exports, with 336 million dollars on a value basis. Poultry, animal products, furniture, paper, and forest products were among the most sold products to Iraq. After Iraq, Istanbul made the highest exports in terms of value to the United States, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The top exports to the USA were cereals, pulses, oilseeds, furniture, paper, and forest goods. The ships and yachts sector were the most prominent in Norway. The hazelnuts and their products, furniture, paper, and forest products were popular in Germany. And furniture, paper and forest products, cereals, and pulses products were the forerunners in exports to the United Kingdom. Based on country groups, the region to which İİB exports the most was the Middle East countries with 923 million dollars.

Istanbul Showed High Performance In May

In May, Istanbul increased its exports by 19.2 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. Istanbul exported 824 million dollars. The Union made the most exports to Iraq, the United States, and Norway. The Istanbul Furniture, Paper, and Forest Products Exporters’ Association exported $1.6 billion in the first five months of the year. This showed a 37.7 percent increase over the same period the previous year.

The Istanbul Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds, and Products Exporters’ Association (IHBIR) increased its exports by 19.5% to $1 billion 278 million. While the Ship, Yacht, and Services Exporters’ Association (GYHIB) increased by 26.3 percent to 577 million dollars. These were followed by Istanbul Fisheries and Animal Products Exporters’ Association (İSHİB) and Istanbul Hazelnut and Products Exporters’ Association (IFMİB). Istanbul Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Exporters’ Association and Istanbul Dried Fruits and Products Exporters’ Association (KUMİB) also followed. 

“İİB’s exports grew above the Turkey average”

The Istanbul Exporters’ Association, with its more than 20 thousand active members operating in different cities, exhibited a successful performance with its exports in May. The export of the Union has grown above the average of Turkey. It is anticipated that this success will continue in June and that the association will close the first half of the year with an increase in exports.

The president of the association said, “We continue to work with all our strengths with our events for our target markets. National participation fairs, international competitiveness development (UR-GE) projects, purchasing committees, and trade delegations we organize through digital platforms will greatly contribute to our goal. In May, we held the Turkish national participation organization at the “Sweets & Snacks EXPO 2022,” the largest chocolate and snack products fair in the Americas. We organized the Kazan Summit and the Russian Halal Turkish stand. It brought together the economic representatives of Russia and Islamic countries under the coordination of the İİB.”

There Is A Great Increase in Exports Not Only in Istanbul But Also in Turkey

Turkey’s exports approached 126 billion dollars in January-June 2022, increasing by 20 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. In this period, exports made based on provinces (excluding exports from free zones) increased by 19.2 percent. Exports rose to 114 billion 5 million dollars. In the first half, 67 out of 81 provinces throughout the country increased their exports, while the decrease was in the single digits in 6 provinces. 

In the January-June period, Istanbul made the highest export, with 49.95 billion dollars. Istanbul was followed by Kocaeli with 10.15 billion dollars and Bursa with 7.92 billion dollars. Finally, İzmir came with 7.14 billion dollars. 

The Exports of 15 Cities Exceeded One Billion Dollars

Apart from the top ten, Kayseri, Konya, Adana, Mersin, and Antalya were among the cities that exported more than a billion dollars. Istanbul had the highest rise in exports in terms of value, with $9.23 billion, followed by Kocaeli with $2.31 billion.