22% of Exports Came from the Automotive Sector

Turkey's Exporters Council (TİM) Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi announced February export figures. According to TİM data, exports in February increased 14.8 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching USD 12 billion 889 million. Thus, February 2018 became the best February in export history according to TİM data.

In the first 2 months of 2018, exports rose 12.8 percent to USD 25 billion 346 million, while exports over the last 12 months increased 11.1 percent to reach USD 159 billion 27 million. Turkey's Exporters Council (TİM) Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi, commenting on the export figures, said "While our glorious army writes epics in Afrin, our exporters continue to boost our country's morale with export figures. Since November 2016, that is for exactly 16 months, we have been announcing increases in our exports. Over the last 10 years, we had only achieved such a prolonged growth pace in 2011-2012. God willing, if we continue with increases until year-end, we will have achieved the longest sustained growth trend of the last 10 years," he said. Referring to the successful course of exports, TİM Chairman said "In a meeting we held in Ankara together with our Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci in January, we declared this year as a Record-Breaking Year for Exports. We stated that we would exceed the USD 169 billion in the Medium Term Program and climb above USD 170 billion. The first 2 months' data shows that we are progressing toward our targets without deviation. We expect this success to continue and increase in the remaining months," he said. Reminding that January exports increased 10.7 percent to USD 12.5 billion, Büyükekşi said, "In February we achieved an increase of 14.8 percent. Now we are not thinking about whether our exports will increase or not, but whether the increase will be single-digit or double-digit. With February, we have practically gotten used to double-digit increases," he said. On a sectoral basis, the automotive sector achieved the highest exports in February with USD 2.8 billion. This sector's exports in February increased 25.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Noting that the automotive sector continues to set records, Büyükekşi said "Our sector carried 22 percent of our February exports on its own."

Followed by the apparel and confectionery sector with USD 1.4 billion and the chemical substances sector with USD 1.3 billion. The sectors that experienced the highest export growth in February were olives and olive oil with 101 percent increase, ornamental plants and products with 71.8 percent increase, and tobacco with 47.4 percent increase.

Looking at the overall period, agricultural exports increased 10.6 percent, industrial products exports increased 15.8 percent, and mining products exports increased 8.1 percent. Germany maintained its top position, with the EU's share at 53 percent. Looking at export markets, exports to 159 countries and regions increased in February. Among the top 5 countries with the most exports; exports to Germany increased 21.7 percent; to Italy 27.7 percent; to the United Kingdom 20.4 percent; to the USA 4 percent; to France 19.1 percent. Among the top 20 countries with the most exports, the highest increase was captured in Belgium with 70.5 percent. Export by country group shaped as follows: In February compared to the same month of the previous year; exports to the EU showed 24.6 percent increase. Thus, in February, the EU's share in exports reached 53 percent. Besides, in February, our exports to Africa increased 16.7 percent, to the Commonwealth of Independent States 20.6 percent, and to North America 3.5 percent. Exports to Free Zones saw a 24.3 percent increase. "We Exported the Same Goods at Higher Prices" Noting that in February exports increased 1.5 percent by quantity to 9.5 million tons, Büyükekşi said, "Exports increased 14.8 percent by value. In other words, we exported the same goods at higher prices. This is an extremely important development that will have a positive impact on the unit price of our exports. The R&D, innovation, design, and branding awareness we have mentioned in every platform and tried to create through numerous activities continue to reflect in our exports," he said. Istanbul Again on Top, Surprise Move from Ankara. Looking at the export performance of provinces, while exports from 60 provinces increased in February, exports from 20 provinces declined.

Exports from the top 5 provinces that exported the most were as follows: Istanbul USD 5.3 billion, Bursa USD 1.3 billion, Kocaeli USD 1.2 billion, Izmir USD 817 million and Ankara USD 598 million. The highest export increase among the top 10 was achieved by Ankara with 25.3 percent.

"We Will Crown Our Leap Forward in 2018 with Records" Recalling that the World Trade Organization (WTO) recently released 12-month data, Büyükekşi reported that according to this, the total trade of 70 countries monitored by the WTO for monthly data increased 10 percent in 2017 to USD 16.3 trillion. Emphasizing that China increased its exports 8.2 percent, Germany 8.6 percent, and the USA 6.6 percent, Büyükekşi said, "As Turkey, in 2017, which we declared as the 'Leap Forward Year,' we demonstrated a performance above global figures with 10.2 percent growth. We set records in growth, achieved significant increases in employment. We will continue this successful progress in 2018. With the strength we draw from the support our government has given us, we proudly wave our flag in every corner of the world," he said. "Top 1,000 Exporters" Research Launched. Also noting that they have begun work on the 2017 "Top 1,000 Exporters" research, Büyükekşi said, "Our work started in February, we will announce the results in May. Our companies will receive their awards at our general assembly in June. This year we see quite high diversity by province among the companies on our Top 1,000 Exporters list. Firms from 49 provinces are on the list; our exporters from Mardin, Şırnak, Çankırı, and many provinces of Anatolia have found a place among the Top 1,000 Exporters. It is quite gratifying for us to see that exports are spreading across all of Turkey," he said. More Women's Hands Will Touch Exports. Turkey's Exporters Council (TİM) is working to increase the number of female members in exporter associations. TİM adopted a recommendation decision that in the union elections to be held in April, at least two management board members and one supervisory board member should be female in management and supervisory boards to increase the number of female members in exporter associations. TİM Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi said, "While the rate of women's participation in the workforce in our country was 23.6 percent in 2007, it rose to 34.2 percent in 2017. Further increase in this number will accelerate development from economic and social perspectives and contribute to the improvement of our prosperity level. This matter, which our Minister of Economy also considers important, has been evaluated by our Council's Sectors Council and Board of Management, and such a recommendation decision has been adopted to increase the number of female members in the associations," he said. Celebrating all women on International Women's Day on 8 March, Büyükekşi said, "In addition to social life, women, whose weight in commerce increases day by day, should take more responsibility in the export community in the new period," he said.