- In Q1 2023, Turkiye’s garment exports to Saudi Arabia surged fourteen-fold to $52.242 million, a significant increase from the same period last year.
- The increase marks a substantial recovery in bilateral trade, with Turkiye’s garment exports jumping from $3.592 million in Q1 2022 to near the total export value of $62.730 million in 2022.
Turkiye’s garment exports to Saudi Arabia surged fourteen-fold in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023, reaching a value of $52.242 million. This represents a significant increase compared to the same period last year, and nearly doubles the figures from the previous quarter. The boost in Turkiye’s garment exports is part of an overall uptick in bilateral trade between the two nations, following a period of diplomatic tension.
Relations between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia had been strained in the aftermath of the 2018 assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with bilateral trade including the textile sector suffering as a result. However, efforts to normalise relations from both countries have led to a substantial increase in garment exports.
The textile trade between these nations is evolving. Turkiye’s garment exports stood at a mere $3.592 million in Q1, 2022, increasing to $5.038 million in Q2. They then leaped to $30.867 million in Q4 of the same year, culminating in Q1 of this year with the aforementioned $52.242 million. This most recent figure is not far off from the total exports for all of 2022 when Turkiye exported apparel worth $62.730 million. Remarkably, it signifies a more than four-fold increase from the 2021 exports, which totalled $14.415 million, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool TexPro.
Garment exports from Turkiye experienced a downturn in 2021 due to diplomatic difficulties. Recognising the impact on trade and economic cooperation, the leaders of both nations took corrective measures. As a result, exports to Saudi Arabia, which had plummeted 91 per cent to $14.415 million in 2021 from $172.870 million in 2020, are now witnessing a robust recovery.
