Aegean Exporters Unions increased by 18% in March and reached an export figure of $1 billion 286 million. In the first quarter of 2021, EIB, which earned ₺3 billion 515 million of foreign currency in Turkey with an increase of 8.5% in the January-March period, signed exports of $13 billion 278 million in the last 1-year period.
Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator President of the Aegean Exporters’ Unions, said that EIB managed to increase its exports to 105 countries and regions by reaching 190 different export markets in the first quarter of 2021. Eskinazi “Our exports to the European Union increased by 13% in the first three months of 2021, reaching a volume of $1 billion 681 million. While our exports to 18 EU countries increased in the first quarter of 2021, the share of the EU in the total exports of EIB was 48% and the share of the European continent in our exports was recorded as 55%. According to Eurostat’s data, as of the end of 2019, the top 10 countries where EU countries invested the most were the USA with 24%, the United Kingdom with 21%, Switzerland with 11%, Canada and China with 4%.
With this much potential and geographic advantage, Turkey needs to attract more direct investments from the EU. In line with the green transformation of the industry and the new competitiveness to be created with the EU Green Agreement, we are in a period where cooperation in every field gains more importance. In a new generation economy based on stakeholders, it is necessary to change the ground in our relations with the EU, as we did with the UK.” Stating that Asia’s share in global industrial production is gradually increasing, Jak Eskinazi said that in the first three months of 2021, EIB’s exports to Cambodia, a member of ASEAN, of the 15 Asia-Pacific countries that signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement RCEP, increased by 370%, and it increased to 51% to Malaysia, 1.3% to Singapore, 34% to Thailand and 101% to Vietnam. He also informed that one of the dialogue partners of the union with China increased 1%, Japan 3%, South Korea 87% and New Zealand 12%.
23% INCREASE IN EXPORT TO AMERICAN COUNTRIES
Eskinazi said, “In the first three months of 2021, there were remarkable increases in our exports compared to country groups. We exported $393 million to American countries and $375 million to Middle Eastern countries, with an increase of 23%. Our exports to other European countries increased by 8% to $251 million, to Asian and Oceania countries increased by 16% to $265 million. It reached $235 million in African countries, $191 million in the Former Eastern Bloc countries with an increase of 20%, and $75 million in Free Zones with a 26% increase. Our exports to the Turkic Republics preserved the export level of the same period last year with $46 million.”
Explaining that in the first quarter of 2021, Germany maintained its place in the first place with $412 million with an increase of 10% in EIB’s exports, Eskinazi said, “The USA ranks second with $279 million with an increase of 22%, and the UK is among our third trade partner with the highest export with $211 million, with an increase of 11%. We exported $205 million to Italy with an increase of 5%, $199 million to Spain with an increase of 23%, and $157 million to the Netherlands with an increase of 1%, $166 million to France with an increase of 23%, $95 million to Israel with an increase of 9%, $90 million to Belgium with an increase of 21%, and $84 million to Russia with an increase of 19%.” According to EIB data, Uganda is among the 20 countries with the highest export growth with 1866%, Turks and Caicos Islands with 462%, Argentina 441%, Sierra Leone 383%, Zimbabwe 336%, Maldives Islands 337%, Honduras 377%, Cambodia 370%, Jamaica 189%, Pakistan 183%, Haiti 166%, Ireland 165%, Mayotte 153%, Bahamas 126%, Zambia 112%, Nicaragua 108%, Vietnam 100%, Georgia and Equatorial Guinea 97%, Bangladesh and Rwanda 92%.”
Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz