While the construction materials industry had the highest export of all time, with an increase of 16.2% last year, exports reached 59.96 million tons in 2020.
The construction materials industry, which completed the last year with exports of $21.16 billion despite a decrease of 1.5% in value, realized the highest export of all time with an increase of 16.2% in quantity.
According to the statement made by Turkey Construction Material Industrialists Association (Turkey IMSAD), according to the December results of the Turkey IMSAD Construction Materials Industry Foreign Trade Index, the sector again showed a high performance in the last month of the year.
Turkey’s construction materials exports and export markets were shaped by the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak last year. A high export performance was realized in the first quarter of the year. In the second quarter, exports contracted sharply with the effects of the epidemic. The export performance of the construction materials industry, which started to recover in the third quarter, showed a significant increase in the last quarter. In 2020, exports of construction materials decreased by 1.5% in value, reaching $21.16 billion.
Highest export volume of all time in 2020
Last year, exports of construction materials increased by 16.2% in quantity. Exports, which were 51.6 million tons in 2019, rose to 59.96 million tons in 2020. Especially the increase in cement exports was effective in the increase in the total amount. The building materials industry had the highest annual export volume of all time.
While the average annual export unit price of the construction materials industry was $0.41/kilogram in 2019, it was $0.35/kilogram last year. The epidemic and market conditions put downward pressure on export unit prices.
The recovery in the construction sector led to an increase in imports
Imports of construction materials increased by 3.5% in value last year to $7.03 billion. In 2020, imports of construction materials increased by 5.2% in quantity. Imports closed the year with an increase, depending on the activities of the construction sector, which revived in the second half of the year with the support provided.
While the average annual import unit price of the construction materials industry was $2.69/kilogram in 2019, it was $2.65 /kilogram in 2020. The impact of the epidemic on import unit prices was limited.
Construction materials industry exports showed the highest performance in the range
Construction Materials Foreign Trade Index once again showed a high performance in December. Exports experienced the strongest month of the year. With exports reaching $2.16 billion in December, exports in the last 3 months were over $2 billion. Despite the seasonality, the highest monthly exports of the year were made in December. Foreign demand increased significantly in foreign markets due to the new wave concern in the Covid-19 outbreak.
Construction materials exports amounted to 5.37 million tons in December. Compared to December 2019, exports increased by %27.7 in quantity. While the average export unit price of construction materials was $0.44/kilogram in December 2019, it was $0.40/kilogram in the same period of 2020. The export unit prices in November were recorded as the highest monthly unit price of the year. December was also close to this level.
The highest import value of 2020 also took place in December
December imports of construction materials, which amounted to $740 million, were the highest monthly imports of 2020 in value.
Construction materials industry imports decreased by 2% in December compared to the same period of 2019 and reached 264.4 thousand tons. Despite this, range imports were the second-highest monthly imports of the year in terms of quantity. The average import unit price of construction materials rose to $2.84/kilogram in December. After the recession in October and the limited increase in November, average prices increased significantly in the range. In December 2019, the import unit price was $2.34/kilogram.
Sub sectors
Last year, the average export unit prices of 7 out of 8 sub-product groups decreased compared to 2019. In a product group, the average export unit price increased. In 2020, the average export unit price of mineral, stone, and earth products fell 16.1%. The average export unit price of insulation materials decreased by 8%. Prefabricated buildings were the only sub-sector whose average export unit price increased last year, with an increase of 3.1% compared to 2019.
Exports in 7 of the 8 sub-product groups in 2020 were above 2019 in terms of quantity. Sub-sectors showed significant increases in quantity. The highest increase in exports last year was in mineral, stone and soil products with 24.1%. Exports in wood and wood products increased by 18.7% in terms of quantity. Iron and steel products were determined as the only sub-sector whose exports decreased by 3.5% in 2020.
Last year, exports of 4 of 8 sub-product groups increased in value compared to 2019. In 2020, the highest increase in exports in value was in prefabricated buildings with 16.3% and wood and wood products with 15.2%. Iron and steel products exports, on the other hand, fell 8.1%in value.
Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz