Textile Exports from Southeast Anatolia Region to 179 Countries

Southeastern Anatolia Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (GAIB) exported a total of 1 billion 649 million 892 thousand dollars in the eight months of 2020. GAİB President Ahmet Fikret Kileci said, “Among the most important export items of our region, textile and raw materials were exported to 179 countries.”

While Europe was the most important market place in the region with a share of 40.9 percent in textile and raw materials exports, the highest export was made to Iraq on a country basis.

GAİB President Ahmet Fikret Kileci said that textile manufacturers, who experienced losses in exports in the first periods of the pandemic; he stated that they are in a recovery period according to June, July and August 2020 data. Kileci pointed out that most exports from the Southeastern Anatolia Region are made to European Union countries. Stating that Iraq ranks first in country-based textile and raw materials exports, President Kileci continued as follows. “In the first 8 months of 2020, the export from all sectors of our region was 5 billion 540 million 910 thousand dollars. 1 billion 649 million 892 thousand dollars of this amount was realized as textile and raw materials export. Among the most important export items of our region, textiles and raw materials were exported to 179 countries.”

President Kileci pointed out that European countries are an important market for the textile and raw materials exporters of the region. Stating that they exported 674 million 650 thousand dollars to Europe in the January-August 2020 period, Kileci added that the country-based exports were realized to Iraq with 240 million 383 thousand dollars.

While 14.6 percent of the textile and raw materials exports from the Southeastern Anatolia Region were made to Iraq in the January-August 2020 period, this country was followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, United States and Germany, respectively.