The Turkish textile and ready-to-wear sectors are grappling with significant challenges in their primary export markets, according to Ahmet Öksüz, president of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (İTHİB). Addressing an industry gathering in Istanbul, Öksüz highlighted the difficulties facing the global textile industry, which has seen a contraction of 13 percent in trade volume.
“The global textile trade volume fell to $306 billion in 2023, while the ready-to-wear sector dropped to $447 billion,” Öksüz remarked. He emphasized that Turkey’s primary export destinations—the United States and Europe—experienced contractions of up to 20 percent, severely impacting Turkish exports.
Turkey’s Share in Global Markets
Despite these challenges, Turkey retains a 3.4 percent share in global textile markets. In 2023, Turkish textile exports amounted to $12 billion, while the combined figure for textiles and ready-to-wear clothing reached $28 billion. However, the textile sector is expected to close the year with a 2 percent decline in exports.
Decline in Export Revenues
Data from İTHİB reveals a 4.8 percent year-on-year decline in combined export revenues from the textile and ready-to-wear industries during the January-November period. These sectors contributed 10 percent of Turkey’s overall export revenues during this time frame.
Exports of ready-to-wear and confection products to foreign markets fell 7 percent annually to $14.5 billion, while textile exports experienced a smaller decline of 1.5 percent, totaling $10.55 billion.
Outlook and Industry Response
The contraction in Turkey’s primary markets, coupled with global economic uncertainties, underscores the challenges the local textile industry faces. “This year has been particularly challenging, but our focus remains on sustaining our position in global markets while exploring new opportunities,” Öksüz stated.
Industry leaders have called for increased support from the government, including incentives and market diversification strategies, to mitigate the impact of declining demand in traditional markets. As the global textile trade faces headwinds, Turkey’s textile sector must innovate and adapt to sustain growth and competitiveness in the coming years.
