Akamib's Exports Decline by 5%
In November, the exports of Turkey's furniture, paper, and forest products sector decreased by 2.2% compared to the same period last year, totaling 671 million 664 thousand dollars. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Furniture, Paper, and Forest Products Exporters Union (AKAMİB) reported a 5% decline in exports, amounting to 81 million 261 thousand dollars.
In the 11-month period of this year, the overall sector exports in Turkey fell by 1.6% to 7 billion 187 million 802 thousand dollars, while AKAMİB achieved an export revenue of 812 million 592 thousand dollars, representing a 0.5% increase during the same period.
The sector recorded its strongest markets in November among neighboring countries, with Iraq, the United Kingdom, the USA, Libya, and Germany leading the top five. Notably, Romania saw a 25% increase, and the United Kingdom experienced a 19% increase in exports among the top 10 markets.
Iraq ranked first in AKAMİB's November exports as well, followed by Germany, Romania, Syria, and Libya. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus saw a significant increase of 117%, while Syria experienced a 17% growth in exports.
Commenting on the sector's November export performance, AKAMİB President Onur Kılıçer highlighted the escalating decline in profitability and stated: “We had read today's scenario from last year and issued warnings. Our firms have largely lost their competitive power in the face of rising production costs and intense price pressure. It seems we will not achieve the desired growth by the end of the year, and we need to implement a series of measures to avoid jeopardizing 2025 as well. Our exporters continue their activities with great dedication and determination despite everything. However, for this effort to be sustainable, we urgently expect supportive steps from the economic management and relevant institutions. Measures such as maintaining a reasonable gap between inflation and exchange rates, facilitating access to finance, and implementing new incentive mechanisms are of critical importance for our sector.”