Kahramanmaraş’s Textile Exports Increased by 12.2% in 9 Months
Kahramanmaraş, which is among the leading cities in Turkiye’s textile sector, exported 501 million 516 thousand dollars in 9 months. Kahramanmaraş’s exports in this field increased by 12.2 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the earthquakes on February 6, 2023, which is described as the “disaster of the century”, business people who rebuilt their facilities damaged after the disaster continue to contribute to the country’s economy. The city, where approximately 100 textile exporting companies are located, increased its textile exports, which were 446 million 858 thousand dollars in 9 months of last year, by 12.2 percent this year to 501 million 516 thousand dollars. The city’s exports in the first 9 months of 2022 were 681 million 356 thousand dollars, and its annual exports were 868 million 855 thousand dollars.
KMTSO Deputy Chairman Hikmet Gümüşer stated that Kahramanmaraş is a big city that hosts more than 2 thousand companies and pointed out the importance of the textile and raw materials sector in the city.
Reminding that they broke an export record in the textile and raw materials sector in 2022, Gümüşer said that exports declined due to the earthquakes on February 6, 2023.
The Sector is in the Process of Post-Earthquake Recovery
Explaining that the sector has started to recover slowly despite all the negativities, Gümüşer said, “As of the first 9 months of 2024, we have recovered a little. Compared to 2023, we increased our exports of textiles and raw materials by 12 percent in 2024 and recorded an export of 501 million dollars. This is a good achievement for our city, which is still healing the wounds of the earthquake. We mainly exported to Italy. Apart from that, our exports to Czechia have increased considerably. At the same time, our exports to Pakistan have increased considerably.”
“There is a very intense employment problem”
Stating that both unit prices and profitability rates have decreased compared to the previous year, and that one of the important reasons for the decrease in profitability is the labor cost, Gümüşer said:
“Due to the recessions in Europe and America and the high interest rate policies implemented in Turkiye, many businesses had to think about their capacities. Unfortunately, at the point we have reached now, yarn facilities in Kahramanmaraş are operating with a capacity utilization rate of 40 percent. At the same time, we are facing serious productivity declines, one of the most important reasons for this is the intense employment problem. Factories hire blue-collar workers, this employment lasts for a very short period of time, they only work for a month or two, and then they leave the job, and this causes a great loss of productivity.”
“We Will Not Stop, We Will Work”
Mustafa Narlı, President of Kahramanmaraş Commodity Exchange, said that about 3 weeks ago, 10 companies, including his own company, were awarded with gold in the city related to exports.
Stating that this situation is a source of pride for the city, Narlı said, “This is not only our success, but also the success of our colleagues working with us. Just 15 days after the earthquake, our colleagues took a great action with us and quickly revived our factories. This is not only the success of the industrialists, but also the result of the good work we have done with them. That’s why we will not stop, we will work, we will succeed, we will achieve this again.”
