Limited decrease in textile industry exports despite the pandemic. The textile industry also shrunk in 2020, when the pandemic affected all economies deeply. According to the İTKİB exports report, Turkey’s total textile and raw materials sector exports in 2020 earned 9.7 billion USD value, with a decrease of 2.5% compared to the previous year. Textile exports in the last month of the year, with an increase of 33.2% and a value of 1 billion USD, led to positive expectations for 2021.
While Turkey’s overall exports recorded a 6,3% total annual loss of nearly 170 billion worth. Compared to this, it is seen that the textile industry has a smaller loss. Therefore, the share of the textile industry in overall exports increased from 5% to 5.5%. Compared with 2019, exports were carried out at lower levels in March, April and May while the Covid-19 was seen in Turkey and restrictive measures were taken. Throughout the year, the textile industry saw its lowest export performance in April with a decrease of 51.7% with 414 million USD, while the highest performance was achieved in October with 1.017 billion USD. The second highest value was realized in December with 1.016 billion USD. Textile exports increased by 33.2% in December compared to the previous year.
Despite the 2.5 percent decrease in textile and raw materials exports on value basis, exports increased by 0.5% on amount basis to 2.3 million tons. It is reflected in the figures that the Turkish textile industry is experiencing a decrease in value by producing more.
Largest market EU, most important partner Germany
In the January – December period of 2020, the largest market of our country to export textile and raw materials was the 27 EU member countries. Exports to this market decreased by 1% compared to 2019 and amounted to 4.4 billion USD. Our textile exports to the Former Eastern Bloc Countries, our second important market, increased by 3.3% and reached a value of 1.1 billion USD. The country groups in which we achieved an increase in exports in 2020 were listed as American Countries, Other European Countries and Turkic Republics. Exports to the American countries were 789 million USD with an increase of 4.4%, exports to other European countries increased by 8.7% to 584 million USD, and exports to the Turkic Republics increased by 6.2% to 326 million USD.
On the basis of countries, we see that Germany, our most important trade partner, maintains its place with a share of 9.6%. During 2020, textile exports to Germany increased by 9% to 933 million USD. Our textile exports to Italy, which ranks second, decreased by 7.5% throughout the year to 737 million USD. Our third most important market in textile exports was the USA. Our exports to this country increased by 8% to 628 million USD.
Woven fabric main export product
Woven fabric stands out as the most important product group in textile exports between January and December 2020. Woven fabric exports, which constitute 19.4% of textile exports, decreased by 19.6% compared to 2019 and amounted to 1.9 billion USD.
The second important product group was the technical textile product group included in the textile sector with a 17% share. Throughout the year, exports of technical textiles increased by 8.6% and reached a value of 1.6 billion USD. The export growth of this product group continued at a high level of 35.3% just in December.
The yarn product group is the third most important product with a share of 16.4%. Yarn exports decreased by 12% in 2020 to 1.6 billion USD. During this period, fiber exports decreased by 1.4% and reached a value of 629 million USD.
Knitted fabric exports decreased by 1.8% decreased to 1.5 billion dollars in 2020. The largest knitted fabric exported market was Italy. Knitted fabric exports to Italy approached 209 million dollars.
Special yarn and fabric exports decreased by 14.9% to 512 million USD. Within this product group, denim fabric exports decreased by 18.6% to 246 million USD. The country with the highest denim exports was Tunisia.
Limited decrease in textile industry exports despite the pandemic
Home textile fabrics exports decreased by 8.9% in the January – December period of 2020, amounting to 373 million USD. The export of drapery, the most important item of this product group, decreased by 6.1% and reached 270 million USD. Our most important export market in curtain fabric was Germany.
Our home textile exports in 2020 decreased by 2.3%, similar to the general textile exports. Towels and cleaning cloths constituted the most important product of home textiles, which earned 1.8 billion USD export revenue. This product group, which constitutes 31.1% of home textile exports, provided an income of 569 million USD with a loss of 6.1% in exports. Germany is the first market in our home textile exports. Home textiles exported to Germany increased 2% and increased its revenue to 435 million USD.
The star product of 2020 was undoubtedly technical textiles. Technical textiles exports increased by 59.3% in 2020, reaching a value of 2.7 billion USD. On the basis of product groups, it was recorded that the exports of ready-to-wear from technical textiles increased by 4366% and reached a value of 907 million USD. Nonwoven fabric exports increased by 20.5% to 719 million USD. This strong response to the increase in demand for masks, protective clothing and similar technical textiles; due to the pandemic is expected to continue in 2021.
According to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey data; the capacity utilization rate in the Turkish textile sector was found to be 72% throughout the year.