TİM Sectoral Trade Delegations Gained Momentum
1000 interviews in Egypt in 2 days
Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), which is the only umbrella organization of more than 100 thousand exporters, continues to bring Turkish exporters together with buyers all over the world with its sectoral and general trade delegations. Through the Egyptian (Cairo) Physical Trade Delegation organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade and organized by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly, nearly 50 Turkish exporters from various sectors held more than 1000 round tables and B2B business meetings with more than 400 Egyptian company representatives.
Commenting on the Egyptian (Cairo) Physical Trade Delegation, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe said, “Egypt is an important country for us. Egypt, our border neighbor from the sea, carries the identity of Africa's gate for Türkiye. We attach importance to the greater participation of Turkish exporters and investors in the Egyptian market. We see that there is serious potential here. In Egypt, which is currently the 15th country where we export the most, we have identified products in which we have a serious competitive advantage in 12 different sectors. Company representatives from all of these sectors took part in the delegation. Our delegation is progressing efficiently. I hope that it will be beneficial for both our Turkish exporters and our Egyptian partners.”
Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), which is the only umbrella organization of more than 100 thousand exporters with 61 Exporters' Associations and 27 sectors, continues to bring Turkish exporters together with buyers all over the world with sectoral and general trade delegations. Türkiye Export Assembly (TİM), which carried out trade delegations to Dubai, Tel Aviv, and Barcelona in 2022, organized its fourth trade delegation to Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
To create opportunities for new economic cooperation and sales between Türkiye and Egypt and to increase the trade volume between the two countries, Turkish exporters from various sectors held more than 1000 round tables and B2B business meetings with more than 400 Egyptian company representatives through the Egyptian (Cairo) Physical Trade Delegation organized by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly between 22-24 August under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade.
The delegation headed by TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç was attended by nearly 50 exporters, including TİM and union representatives and representatives of Turkish companies, from more than 20 sectors such as furniture, textiles and raw materials, ready-to-wear and apparel, construction materials, carpets, air conditioning, minerals, dried fruits and products, aquaculture and animal products, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, chemicals, machinery and electronics, electrical and electronics, automotive and spare parts, machinery, and accessories.
“We have identified products in Egypt where we have a serious competitive advantage in 12 different sectors”
TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, who made evaluations about the Egyptian (Cairo) Physical Trade Delegation program, said that Egypt is an important country for them and that they are the representatives of civilizations with common cultural and human values. Stating that there are important economic relations between the two countries, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe said:
“Egypt, which is our border neighbor from the sea, carries the identity of Africa's gate for Türkiye. We attach importance to the greater participation of Turkish exporters and investors in the Egyptian market. We see that there is serious potential here. There have been political challenges between the two countries and today there is a rapprochement. The process continues. We, as exporters, organized a trade delegation to Egypt in order to evaluate this process in the most effective way. Türkiye-Egypt mutual trade volume, which has serious potential, has made significant progress in 2021. In 2021, our trade volume increased by 40 percent compared to the previous year and reached 6.7 billion dollars. $4.5 billion of this volume consisted of Türkiye's exports to Egypt. In our exports to Egypt in 2021, our chemical, automotive, steel, textile, and metals sectors stood out as the sectors we exported the most. In Egypt, which is currently the 15th country where we export the most, we have identified products in which we have a serious competitive advantage in 12 different sectors. Company representatives from all of these sectors took part in the delegation. Our delegation is progressing efficiently. I hope that it will be beneficial for both our Turkish exporters and our Egyptian partners.”
More than 1000 roundtables and B2B business meetings with more than 400 Egyptian company representatives
The Türkiye-Egypt Physical Trade Delegation started with the informative presentation of the Trade Consultancy of the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Cairo to the companies. Following the presentation, TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç, Expolink President Mohamed Kassem, and Turkish Chargé d'Affaires in Cairo Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen made their opening speeches. After the opening speeches, Turkish exporters held more than 1000 round tables and B2B business meetings with more than 400 Egyptian company representatives. Within the scope of the physical trade delegation program, the delegation consisting of the heads of the associations and Turkish businessmen visited companies and institutions in Cairo for market research.
TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç: We have seen that Türkiye is a serious exporter with a competitive advantage in 43 of the 100 products that Egypt imports the most.
In his opening speech, TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç who headed the delegation stated that Egypt is a country of strategic importance and that as of 2021, Egypt is Türkiye's 15th largest export market and 26th largest supplier. TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç stated that Türkiye is Egypt's 6th largest supplier and the second country with the highest exports.
Stating that Türkiye promises a more comprehensive and strong partnership with its partners' thanks to its diversified product supply, investments and geographical opportunities, TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç said:
“As a matter of fact, in 2021, our exports to Egypt increased by more than 100 percent in different sectors such as animal products, fresh fruits and vegetables, jewelry, and mining. Our strengthened economic capacity and competencies, our common cultural foundation, our growing population, and our manpower quality indicate that there is great potential for our countries. The successes recorded in the first quarter of 2022 show that this potential has been revived. In the first half of 2022, our exports to Egypt increased by 24 percent and our imports from Egypt increased by 20 percent. These developments also strengthen our hopes for the future of our bilateral relations.”
Prior to the visit, TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç stated that they conducted product-based research on Türkiye's exports to Egypt within the body of TİM, “According to the results we reached, we saw that Türkiye is a serious exporter with a competitive advantage in 43 of the 100 products that Egypt imports the most. In these product groups, Türkiye's share of Egypt's imports in the last 10 years is only 6 percent. Among these 43 products, there are 7 products from the steel sector, 6 each from the chemical, automotive, and textile sectors, and 5 products from the electrical and electronics sector. In total, there are advantageous products in 12 different sectors. Representatives from all these sectors are also among us in our Egyptian delegation. We hope that this visit of ours will be instrumental in good deeds and strong partnerships.”
Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen, Chargé d'Affaires of the Republic of Türkiye in Cairo: “The trade volume between Türkiye and Egypt needs to be carried to a further level”
Speaking at the opening of the program, Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen, Chargé d'Affaires of the Republic of Türkiye in Cairo, emphasized that Egypt is a very important country for Turkish exporters and investors with its geographical location, a population exceeding 103 million, offering opportunities to enter African, South American, US and EU markets and its important strategic position as of the Suez Canal. Stating that it is of great importance that the economic and commercial relations between the two countries have continued without losing momentum for years, Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen, Chargé d'Affaires of Cairo, said, "The trade volume between Türkiye and Egypt needs to be carried to a further level. The additional steps to be taken will encourage our investors to turn to Egypt and carry our trade to a higher level.”