Textile exports decreased by 5.5% in the first three quarters of 2019. In the first three quarters of 2019, exports of the textile and raw materials sector decreased by 5.5% compared to the previous year and realized as 7.4 billion dollars. On a monthly basis, exports of the textile sector in September decreased by 3.1% year-on-year to 853 million dollars. Turkey’s total exports in the January-September period of 2019 increased to 132.5 billion dollars with an increase of 2.6%. In this context the share of textiles and raw materials sector in Turkey’s total exports for the first nine months of the year stood at 5.6%.
Although the textile and raw materials sector saw a decrease by 5.5% in terms of value in January-September period, it experienced an increase by 2.3% in terms of quantity. Exports of textile products in this period increased to 1.7 million tons. In September alone, exports decreased by 0.6%.
Textile exports decreased by 5.5% in the first three quarters of 2019: exports to EU countries decreased, but increased for former eastern bloc countries
In September, the highest amount of textile and raw material was exported to the EU market as usual. Exports to 28 countries in the EU region decreased by 9.5% to 414 million dollars. The value of exports to this market in 9 months reached up to 3.7 billion dollars.
The second most important market of our textile sector in exports was the former eastern bloc countries. Exports increased by 5.8% in September to 98 million dollars. In September, the country group where exports increased the most with 27.3% was the Turkish Republics. The highest decline in exports was in other non-EU countries with 10.7%. The highest increase in exports in the January-September period was seen in the Turkish Republics with 10.7%, and the highest decline was in Asia and Oceania with 12.7%.
Textile exports decreased by 5.5% in the first three quarters of 2019: most exports are to Italy
In the first three quarters of 2019, Italy was the country where the textile sector exported the most. Exports to Italy declined by 7.4% in this period and reached 622 million dollars. In September alone, exports to Italy declined by 9.5% to 72 million dollars. Germany, which ranked second, exported 71 million dollars’ worth of exports in September, down by 1.3%. Exports to the US market, which ranked third, increase by 12.7% to 58 million dollars. However, in the first nine months of the year, Turkey’s exports to this country decreased by 2.1% to 435 million dollars.
Exports of woven fabrics decreased by 7.6%
Looking at the export of Turkish textile industry in the January-September period of 2019 on product basis, the main product item is woven fabrics. Woven fabrics, which constitute 23.5% of the sector’s total exports, decreased by 7.6% in exports during this period and reached 1.7 billion dollars. The second important product group was yarn with 18.4% share. Yarn exports decreased by 4.6% to 1.4 billion dollars during this period.
In January-September 2019, the third largest product group in the sector was home textiles; which were included in the textile sector with a share of 15.5%. Exports of this group decreased by 2.9% to 1.15 billion dollars. During this period, fibre exports decreased by 11.1% and remained at about 473 million dollars. When the fibre product group is examined closely; it is seen that synthetic and artificial fibres have a share of 62.6% and cotton fibres have a share of 33.8%.
Exports of home textiles are also experiencing losses
Data on home textile fabrics covering the first 9 months of the year show a similar trend to the sector in general. Exports of home textiles decreased by 14.8% to 304 million dollars. Exports of the main product drapery in this segment decreased by 15.8% to 213 million dollars. Upholstery exports totalled 79 million dollars with a decrease of 14%. Towel-type curl exports increased by 2.2% to 12 million dollars.
In the first three quarters of the year, exports of home textiles saw a value of 1.35 billion dollars with a decrease of 2.2%. Exports of towels and cleaning cloths; which have a 33.4% share in this group, decreased by 6.2% and remained at 453 million dollars.
In the January-September period of 2019, exports of technical textiles increase by 8.8%, reaching 1 billion dollars. Nonwoven exports, which have a 34.4% share in this segment, increased by 3% to 446 million dollars.
In the first 9 months of 2019, ready-to-wear and apparel exports increased by 0.4% and reached 13.3 billion dollars; in September alone, this figure was up by 3.2% to 1.5 billion dollars.