The Broadening of Export Participation: The Key to Sustainable Growth
As of September, our export community has achieved yet another remarkable milestone. With 22.6 billion dollars in exports, we have reached the highest September export performance in the history of our Republic. I extend my congratulations to all our exporters who have contributed to this success. However, in order to structure the new period correctly, we must analyze the data meticulously.
Competitive conditions in global trade are becoming increasingly challenging by the day. Domestically, the “high interest, low exchange rate” policy that has been implemented for more than two years as part of the fight against inflation continues to weaken the competitiveness of our exporters. Under these circumstances, it is essential to underline that every increase achieved is highly valuable.
In the nine-month period, our exports reached 200.6 billion dollars. This represents an increase of 4.1 percent in ratio and 8 billion dollars in value compared to the same period last year. There is a 2.6 billion-dollar parity contribution within these nine months. When we exclude the parity effect, we observe contributions of 2.2 billion dollars from the automotive sector, 1.6 billion dollars from the defense industry, 1.1 billion dollars from chemicals, and 739 million dollars from jewelry. The combined contribution of these four sectors and parity amounts to approximately 8.3 billion dollars. Without the parity and the contributions of these four sectors, we would have recorded a decline compared to last year.
In other words, although some of our sectors have demonstrated strong performance, the challenge of broadening export growth across the base persists. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that steps to enhance our competitiveness are taken without delay in the upcoming period.
Despite all circumstances, we continue to work relentlessly to create new market opportunities for our exporters. In September, we organized trade delegations to Mexico, Kuwait, and the Philippines, reaching a total of 28 countries. In October, we will hold delegations and fair organizations in 30 countries, primarily the United States, Canada, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Panama, Kenya, and Colombia. These activities will continue to strengthen the presence of Turkish brands in global markets.
Moreover, we are advancing our efforts focused on sustainability, digital transformation, and innovation. Türkiye Innovation Week, which we will hold on 9–11 October, will be one of the strongest reflections of this vision. At this major event, where innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology will converge, we will collectively discuss the ideas that will shape the future.
In summary, the September data conveys two important messages:
Firstly, our exporters continue to produce, create value, and contribute to their nation under all circumstances. Secondly, in this period of intensifying global competition, the obstacles that weaken our competitiveness and hinder our pace must be swiftly removed.
As exporters, regardless of the conditions, we will continue to work with perseverance, faith, innovation, and solidarity in the face of challenges.