Turkish Denim Industry Achieves High Exports – Turkey exported USD378.3 million of denim fabric during 2015, while denim cloth exports totaled USD1.6 billion. Meanwhile, imports were at USD268.3 million for denim fabric and USD211.6 million for denim clothes.
Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporter Associations (İTKİB) pointed to increasing growth of the industry in “Turkey and Global Denim Apparel and Fabric Foreign Trade 2015 Annual Report”. The leading global denim producer, the USA gave its place to Asian countries including China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as Turkey in the recent years. Demand growth continued in denim industry with functional and esthetic features. Particularly trousers as well as jacket, shirt, dress, hat, skirt and vest along with home textiles such as pillow, bed coverings are manufactured with denim fabrics.
In 2015, exports of denim fabrics in the world were down by 12.6% to USD4.2 billion when compared to 2014. Global textile exports were also down by 10% to USD251.3 billion. In this period, China counted for 40.4% of global exports and obtained USD1.7 billion turnover. This was followed by Hong Kong with USD512.7 million and Turkey with USD373 million of exports. Turkey was the 3rd largest exporter of denim fabrics across the globe as it counted for 11% of the global share.
Turkey’s Denim Clothe Exports Grow
According to global data, Turkey is a leading player across the global with denim fabric and cloth production capacity and export potential as the country is the 8th largest apparel exporter and the 9th largest textile exporter as of 2015. The 2015 data reveals that denim fabrics count for 5% of Turkey’s total textile exports while denim clothes count for 9.4% out of total ready wear and apparel exports. This share goes up to 27% when weaving segment is considered only. Turkey achieved USD1.6 billion of denim cloth exports in 2015.
Looking at denim fabric manufacturing in Turkey closely, an important amount of those products are exported as fabrics before being converted to apparel. In 2000, exports had totaled USD101.6 million for denim fabrics, while USD378.3 million of denim fabrics were exported to 83 countries during 2015. Within the total textile exports at USD7.6 billion in the period, denim fabrics hit 5% share in exports. However, exports of denim fabrics were down 11.15 with respect to 2014. Shortly, the contraction in denim fabric exports (11.1%) during 2015 was larger than in denim clothes (6.6%)
Turkey’s major export destinations regarding denim fabrics were ranked as Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Hong Kong. Out of total Turkish denim fabric exports, 15.1% was done to Italy, 13.3% was done to Tunisia, 10.7% was done to Egypt, 7.4% was done to Bangladesh and 7.3% was done to Hong Kong. Among them, exports to Bangladesh were up (26.2%) only.
Exports Soared by 4 Times in 15 Years
Between 2000-2015, Turkish denim cloth exports rose by 4 times. Women denim trouser was the product that was exported most with USD797.6 million of values. This product counted for 50% of the cumulative denim cloth exports. Men denim trousers were the second largest product group to be exported in the period at USD693.5 million with a share of 43.9% in total denim cloth exports. Women denim skirts achieved 1.6% share at USD25.5 million out of total denim exports, while women denim jackets totaled USD19.4 million and got 1.25% share. Women denim dresses enjoyed the largest increase in 2015, as the figure surged 101.6% from 2014.
Major Markets are in Europe
Germany, the UK, Spain, The Netherlands and Denmark were the largest destinations from exports of denim clothes from Turkey. In 2015, Turkey exported USD271.7 million of denim clothes to Germany, which was around 1/6 of the total denim cloth exports. The figure was down 7.7% from the previous year though.
The largest second export destination was the UK as exports of denim cloths from Turkey was down by 6.3% at USD 236 million. The country had 14.9% share in denim cloth exports. Denim cloth exports to Spain, the 3rd largest market, totaled USD226.7 million, an increase of 7.2%. The country’s share in this segment was reported at 14.4%. Exports to Poland recorded the largest hike in denim cloth exports; as the figure rose by 50.9% to USD30 million during 2015.
Imports Recorded Remarkable Increase
Despite rising exports of denim fabric and clothes of Turkey, imports showed a steep jump. Growing 2 times in the recent 16 years, imports of denim fabrics hit UAS268.3 million in 2015. 79.1% of imported denim fabrics were the ones in which cotton was used more than 85%; and with more than 200 grams in terms of at meter square, no-faconne denim cloths. Turkey imported most from Pakistan, Egypt, Italy, Kayseri Free Zone and Turkmenistan during 2015.
Turkish Denim Industry Achieves High Exports
In 2000, Turkey imported USD10.8 million of denim clothes; while the figure was 20 times higher at USD211.6 million in 2015. Men denim trousers were the product group that was imported most at USD105.3 million; as it had 57.9% share in total denim cloth imports. The second largest product group was women denim trousers with a value of USD90.6 million. Men denim shirts had 3.2% share in imports, meanwhile. Egypt was the largest importer of Turkey with USD69.9 million; which was followed by Bangladesh (USD54.6 million) and Pakistan (USD12.4 million).