We Must Maintain The Balance Between Inflation And Exchange Rates
As we move forward into 2025 with a target of $280 billion in exports, we have successfully completed the first month of the year. In January, we increased our exports by 5.8%, reaching $21.2 billion. Thus, we have achieved the highest January export figure recorded to date.
We also anticipate that our service exports for January will amount to approximately $9.4 billion. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to all our exporters for this remarkable achievement.
When we examine the sectors individually, the automotive industry led the way in 2025 with $3 billion in exports. It was followed by chemicals at $2.5 billion, ready-to-wear at $1.4 billion, steel at $1.25 billion, and electrical-electronics at $1.22 billion. In the past month, 46 of our provinces increased their export figures, with the top five exporting provinces being İstanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, İzmir, and Ankara.
In January, 1,090 firms engaged in exports for the first time. However, this number is the lowest in recent years. We observe a decline in interest in exports due to weakening competitiveness, and we consider this a significant risk to the future of our export performance.
To reach our $280 billion target, we need to increase our exports by 7%. Given our existing potential, we can achieve even more. However, our immediate priority must be to rectify the challenges that eroded our competitiveness last year—namely, we must restore equilibrium between inflation and exchange rates without delay.
Of course, we cannot overlook global geopolitical developments. As you know, the United States is our second-largest export market. The second presidency of Donald Trump will undoubtedly have implications for our trade relations. We will also continue to closely monitor developments in Syria.
On the other hand, we will once again carry out an extensive delegation program with our export associations this year. We are fully mobilizing all our resources to achieve our $280 billion export target.
As Türkiye Exporters Assembly, we place great importance on announcing our monthly export data from provinces that contribute significantly to our trade. We see these visits not only as an opportunity to share figures but also as a valuable platform to engage with exporters outside İstanbul, fostering discussions and consultations. In Trabzon, where we disclosed January's export figures, we had the opportunity to meet with exporters, listen to their concerns, and gather their demands and suggestions.
Hazelnuts are one of Trabzon's key export products, and I want to emphasize their contribution to the positive trend in our exports in 2024. However, we must acknowledge the growing risks in this sector. Our global market share in hazelnut exports has declined from 63% to around 58% in terms of volume. A decade ago, Chile was barely exporting hazelnuts, yet today, it has become a significant player. Meanwhile, the United States and Georgia continue to expand their hazelnut exports annually. We must treat hazelnuts as a matter of national importance. Above all, we need to increase productivity per hectare, and at the same time, we must develop projects that add greater value to our hazelnut exports.
This focus on efficiency and value-added production must extend beyond hazelnuts to all our industries. Let us not forget that only by prioritizing these efforts can we propel Türkiye into the ranks of the world's top 10 exporting nations.