Aegean Textile Manufacturers Showed 41% Increase in Exports
Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ETHIB) was held the 2023 Ordinary General Assembly Meeting at the Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EIB) Conference Hall. Speaking at the meeting, EIB Coordinator President and ETHIB Chairman of the Board Jak Eskinazi stated that ETHIB 2023 exports increased by 41% compared to the previous year due to the increase in raw material exports.
After the deepening of the global climate crisis, the European Union Green Deal, which was implemented by the European Union in 2019, has become the priority target of all sectors. The textile industry, which is at the top of the list of sectors where the EU has decided to impose a carbon tax in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (SKDM), allocates most of its energy to this issue in order to comply with the SKDM. Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ETHIB), which is one of the leading institutions that take the first and most important steps regarding sustainability in Turkey, has determined its main agenda as sustainability and shapes its projects within this framework.
Eskinazi; He underlined that in this period when it is difficult to compete due to loss of parity, stagnant demand, increase in inflation and increasing costs, the Association continues to plan its activities in a way that emphasizes sustainability, digitalization, quality and value-added production.
Jak Eskinazi; “Our exports in ETHIB 2023, on the other hand, differed from Turkey in general and experienced a significant increase in exports. Exports from our Union in 2023 increased by 41% compared to the previous year and amounted to approximately 509 million dollars, especially due to the increase in raw material exports. Our country’s total textile exports decreased by 7.6% in 2023 and amounted to 9.5 billion dollars.”
“We will Make a Study Visit to the Netherlands”
Eskinazi gave information about the activities of the Sustainability P&D Project, which is carried out with the support of the Ministry of Commerce; “With this project, in which we aim to increase the competitiveness of our companies in our foreign markets, we have ensured that the participants receive consultancy services on energy efficiency, ISO 14064 Corporate Carbon Footprint Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management and Product Life Cycle Assessment. Next September, we will make a study visit to the Netherlands to see examples of good practices in the sector.”
Esu; “Environmentally friendly production by using our resources efficiently is our main debt to this world and future generations. In addition, meeting these conditions is now one of the main elements of competition. Now, the end customer cares about the conditions under which the product is produced and how much of a mark it leaves in nature. For this reason, our customers also pay attention to how sustainable our production is. In addition to price and quality, sustainability is now one of the main elements of competition.”
Joint Webinar with Aegean Ready-to Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association
Eskinazi said that within the scope of the Joint Sustainability Committee studies that they started to carry out with the participation of all textile and ready-to-wear unions in our country, the Organic-Sustainability Certifications and Cotton sub-working group, which is under the responsibility of ETHİB, continues its activities. Eskinazi informed that they will organise a webinar with the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association on Thursday, 9 May 2024 on the effects of the German Supply Chain Law adopted by the German Federal Assembly within the scope of sustainability measures and its effects on Turkey.
Eskinazi stated that they organized 2 separate delegations last fall with the participation of the representatives of the relevant Ministries and the Joint Sustainability Committee of the Turkish Textile and Apparel Associations in order to see Uşak, which is an example of a successful cluster in the field of circular economy and recycling, where the members of our Association are intensely involved, and in order to increase the exports of the carpet industry, together with the Demirci Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Carpet P&D. He gave the good news that work has started for the project.
“We will work hard to increase our share in the market”
Referring to overseas promotional activities, Eskinazi said; “In order to provide more government support to the promotional activities we will carry out for the United States of America (USA) and to prevent waste of resources, we have joined forces as all Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Associations in Turkey and signed a joint Turquality Promotion Project for the USA. Over the next four years, we will work hard to increase our share in this market.”
Jak Eskinazi added the information that ETHİB participated with a delegation in the Techtextil/Texprocess Frankfurt fairs, which held in Frankfurt, Germany between 23-26 April 2024.