Turkey’s shoe exports increased by 23.1% in 11 months of the year compared to the same period of 2020, reaching $926 million, reaching the highest annual figure of all time. Turkish Shoe Manufacturers’ Association (TASD) President Berke Icten stated that the target of $1 billion in shoe exports will be exceeded for the first time this year. Its target for next year was announced as $1.5 billion.
Shoe exports, which increased by 23.1% in 11 months of the year compared to the same period of 2020 and reached $926 million, are expected to exceed $1 billion for the first time at the end of the year.
According to sectoral export data, Turkey’s leather and leather products exports increased by 28.8% in January-November 2021, reaching $1.6 billion. The share of the leather and leather products industry in total exports was 0.8%.
In the 11 months of the year, the country with the highest increase in the exports of the sector was recorded as Russia with an increase of 33%. Exports to Russia amounted to $122.6 million. Russia’s share in Turkey’s leather and leather products exports was 7.8%.
Exports to Germany, which has a 7.6% share of Turkey’s leather and leather products exports, amounted to $120.3 million in 11 months. Italy with $88.3 million, Iraq with $78.2 million, Spain with $77.1 million and England with $64.6 million followed Germany.
THE CRITICAL THRESHOLD IN THE SHOES WILL BE EXCEEDED THIS YEAR
The highest share of leather and leather products sector exports was shoes with 58.8%. Turkey’s shoe exports increased by 23.1% in the 11 months of the year compared to the same period of 2020 and reached $926 million. Shoe exports are expected to exceed $1 billion for the first time at the end of the year.
In the January-November period, the highest shoe exports were made to Russia, with an increase of 27.5% and $76.35 million. Russia was followed by Iraq with $71 million (21.9% increase), Germany with $63.6 million (15.9% increase).
Shoes were exported to Spain for $56.5 million, to Romania $38.5 million and to Israel $33.4 million.
In the said period, the highest increase among the top 10 exporting countries was recorded in Libya with 55.9%.
“WE EXPECT THE EXPORT OF SHOES TO REACH $1.5 BILLION NEXT YEAR”
In his statement to the AA correspondent, Berke Icten, President of the Turkish Shoe Manufacturers Association (TASD), said that they went very well in shoe exports this year, and that the figure that they had been aiming for years, $1 billion, will be exceeded for the first time this year.
Expressing sincerely that there is a great interest in the Turkish shoe industry from abroad due to reasons such as logistics advantage, deterioration in supply chains, proximity to Europe, affordable production cost and quality production, he said, “In this way, we spent 11 months with an export increase of more than 23%. We achieved this success in a certain part of the year, while Covid-19 measures were strictly implemented in many countries.”
Stating that the shoe industry works in full shifts and is in an effort to keep up with the orders, Icten said that they experience problems from time to time due to the difficulties and hikes in the supply of raw materials, and that these problems should be resolved as soon as possible.
Icten said, “We have started to see the tangible fruits of the interest towards Turkey this year, but it will be better reflected in the figures next year. Next year, we expect shoe exports to reach $1.5 billion with an increase of 50%.”
Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz