İKMİB Brings 23 Russian Buyer Firms Together with Turkish Exporters

Russian Procurement Delegation Meets with Turkish Exporters

İKMİB (Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association) organized a "Russian Procurement Delegation" event on 30 November - 1 December 2017 with the aim of increasing exports, strengthening the international position of companies and reaching new markets. At the procurement delegation event held at Swiss The Bosphorus Hotel, Turkish companies in the home and kitchen goods, packaging and cosmetics and cleaning sectors had the opportunity for bilateral meetings with 23 purchasing companies, including major retail chains from Russia. A total of 750 meetings were conducted. The opening of the organization, which was attended by 19 companies from home and kitchen goods and packaging sectors and 25 companies from cosmetics and cleaning sectors, took place with the participation of Hakan Kızartıcı, Deputy Director General of Exports, Ministry of Economy; Murat Akyüz, Chairman of İKMİB Board of Directors; İmer Özer, Chairman of the Private Label Products Manufacturers and Suppliers Association (PLAT); S. Armağan Durdu, General Secretary of İMMİB (Istanbul Minerals and Metals Exporters Associations) and Coşkun Kırlıoğlu, Assistant General Secretary of İMMİB. Emphasizing that procurement delegations, trade missions and trade fair organizations organized by İKMİB play an important role in chemical exporters reaching new markets, İKMİB Board Chairman Murat Akyüz stated: "Every year, from the Middle East to Asia, from the United States to Europe, we promote our country and our sub-sectors at the most important fairs in the cosmetics, health, paints and coatings and plastics sectors.

Additionally, through both trade missions conducted abroad and procurement delegation organizations held domestically, we are trying to create new business opportunities.

In this regard, I hope that our "Russian Procurement Delegation" organization, which we arranged with the support of our Ministry of Economy, will create new business partnership opportunities for our companies in the home and kitchen goods, packaging and cosmetics and cleaning sectors and contribute to exports," he said. Evaluating exports to Russia, Akyüz stated: "Our chemical exports to Russia were USD 230 million in 2016, and reached USD 268 million in the first 10 months of this year. We believe we will reach USD 300 million by year-end and reach the USD 500 million level in 2018. In the first 10 months to Russia, home and kitchen goods sector exports were USD 17.5 million, while looking at the plastic packaging sector, we see we conducted USD 31.8 million in exports. In the cosmetics and cleaning sector, our exports to Russia reached USD 46 million in the 10-month period of this year. In the chemicals sector, we primarily export inorganic chemicals, paints, varnishes, inks and preparations, essential oils, cosmetics, soaps and washing preparations to Russia," he said.