Aegean Ready-to-Wear Exporters Target Growth in the US Market

The Aegean Apparel and Textile Exporters Association (EHKİB) is organizing a Turkish national participation with 13 companies at the Premiere Vision (PV) Manufacturing New York Fair, scheduled for 14-15 July, to increase exports to the United States, which it has identified as a target market for 2026.

EHKİB, aiming to achieve a stronger position in the US market with annual apparel imports of approximately USD 100 billion, intends to establish new commercial connections through bilateral business meetings to be held during the fair.

USD 2 billion target for US exports
Ege Hazır Giyim ve Konfeksiyon İhracat çıları Birliği Chairman Çağlar Bağcı noted that the United States is one of the most important markets for the global apparel sector and stated that high tariffs imposed on China have caused significant shifts in the global supply chain.

Bağcı noted that China's apparel exports to the US declined by 32 percent in 2025 following high tariffs applied by the US administration to countries such as China, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and stated that they have intensified marketing activities for Turkey to capture a larger share of the resulting gap.

Emphasizing that they are acting in line with the Ministry of Commerce's Far Countries Strategy, Bağcı said:

"The Premiere Vision Manufacturing New York Fair will be our fifth overseas marketing activity in 2026. Three of these organizations have been directed at the US market. Turkey's annual apparel exports to the US are at approximately USD 1.2 billion. We believe that through intensive promotional activities, we can increase this figure to USD 2 billion."

US becomes Turkey's fifth largest market
EHKİB Board Member and Head of Foreign Market Strategies Development Committee Seray Seyfeli noted that the Premiere Vision New York Fair is one of the most prestigious fashion organizations on the American continent.

Stating that participating companies are carefully selected by a selection committee, Seyfeli said the fair ranks among the sector's leading organizations in terms of both visitor and buyer quality.

Seyfeli noted that Turkey's apparel exports to the US reached USD 420 million in the first six months of 2026 with a 6 percent increase, and that the US has moved up one position to fifth place in Turkey's apparel export rankings.

Seyfeli stated that they aim for exports to the US to exceed USD 1 billion by year-end.

Approximately 200 B2B meetings planned at the fair
In addition to fair participation, EHKİB will also organize a comprehensive bilateral business meeting program bringing together Turkish companies and US buyers.

Through professional B2B consulting and company matching services obtained for this purpose, American buyers suitable for the participating companies' production structures were invited to the fair.

The two-day event aims to conduct approximately 200 business meetings.

At a similar event held in January 2026, a total of 160 bilateral business meetings took place between 12 Turkish companies and 40 US buyers.

13 companies to represent Turkey
The following companies are participating in the Premiere Vision Manufacturing New York Fair under EHKİB's national participation organization:

-Beta Konfeksiyon
-Debb Unica Tekstil
-Demoteks Tekstil
-DND Tekstil
-Fıratteks Tekstil
-İya Tekstil
-Leana Tekstil
-Merger Tekstil
-Mosi Tekstil
-Panel Tekstil
-Seleksiyon Tekstil
-Tayra Tekstil
-Turkuaz Tekstil

EHKİB will complete its 2026 international promotion activities with the Premiere Vision Paris Fair, scheduled for 1-3 September.