According to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Turkey achieved an export of $262 billion in 2024, marking a 2.5% increase. The automotive sector led with $37.2 billion in exports, while chemicals followed as the second largest exporter with $30.8 billion. The President of the Plastics Manufacturers Federation, Ömer Karadeniz, stated that the plastics and products category is the export leader among chemical goods, announcing that it ranks first with a total export value of $9.5 billion in 2024.
The export figures for 2024 were announced at a meeting attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Istanbul Haliç Congress Center. The automotive sector contributed the most to the total export which reached $262 billion in 2024. Automotives became the export champion with $37 billion, while chemicals ranked second with $30.8 billion, and ready-to-wear and apparel placed third with $17.9 billion.
In the product categories of chemicals and their products, the export of plastics and products ranked first in 2024, according to IKMİB data, with $9.447 billion. The second place was held by mineral fuels and products with an export value of $7.850 billion, while inorganic chemicals in the chemical sector ranked third with $2.753 billion. Following inorganic chemicals, other sectors in the top 10 included essential oils, cosmetics and soaps at $2.091 billion; rubber and rubber products at $1.589 billion; pharmaceutical products at $1.555 billion; paints, varnishes, inks and intermediates at $1.525 billion; various chemicals at $1.230 billion; washing intermediates at $910 million; and organic chemicals at $760 million.
The plastics industry, which indirectly serves 35 sectors, is creating added value for the Turkish economy through its exports.
“Plastic exports are growing”
Stating that Turkey's exports in 2024 reached $262 billion, reflecting a 2.5% increase from the previous year, Ömer Karadeniz, President of the Plastics Manufacturers Federation, noted that this is the highest export level in the history of the Republic despite global contractions. He emphasized that with an export surpassing $30 billion, the chemical sector is Turkey's second-largest exporter, highlighting that the largest support comes from the plastics industry. He reported that the sector achieved $9.5 billion in exports in 2024, marking a 7% increase compared to the previous year. Karadeniz pointed out that the plastics sector has grown significantly above the 2.5% growth rate of Turkey’s overall exports in 2024, generating added value.
Global conflicts affect trade
In a time when manufacturing industries are experiencing declines, the head of the umbrella organization PLASFED stated that labor-intensive sectors are struggling to maintain prices due to high costs, and that regional wars, conflicts, and macro imbalances negatively affect trade. Karadeniz explained that despite all these uncertainties, both the country and the plastics sector had a good export performance and stated that export capacity would increase with the resolution of problems.
He noted that exports significantly affect a country's economic growth, international relations, and the competitiveness of its enterprises, saying, “The importance of exports is increasing for businesses to compete in the global market and to enhance the economic welfare of countries. Therefore, understanding the functioning of exports better and taking the right steps in this area is of critical importance for businesses and countries.”
Plastics sector as a lifeline to manufacturing industry
According to Turkey’s Manufacturing PMI data, the headline PMI increased from 48.3 in November to 49.1 in December. This indicator, which remains just below the threshold, is noted as the most moderate data in the last eight months. President Karadeniz expressed satisfaction at the notable signs of improvement seen in PMI data for the Turkish manufacturing sector, stating that while relative improvements are seen in many sectors, growth is coming solely from chemicals, plastics, rubber products, and food products. He emphasized that a significant portion of the increases in production and new orders stemmed from the plastics sector, indicating that all these data present a promising picture for the sector in 2025.
Translated by Artificial Intelligence
