According to just released official data, exports of woven apparel were up 34% in November compared to the same month of 2001, at US$286 million. Shipments of knitted apparel rose 29% at the same time, at US$398 million.

In the first eleven months of 2002, woven apparel exports finally rose 22% at US$2.97 billion while knitted apparel exports were up 21% at more than US$4 billion.

Exporters benefited from the fall in the Turkish lira against the euro as a result of the decline in the US dollar. They also took advantage of a rebound in EU and US markets.

A substantial improvement in Turkish economic environment also helped in developing sales to foreign countries.

First rebound since 1998

Turkey's apparel exports reached a peak in 1998, at US$7.6 billion before stagnating in the following years, partly due to higher labor costs which forced various clothing manufacturers in transferring production to other countries in the region.

By the end of November, shipments already reached US$7 billion, however, confirming the unexpected rebound in sales.

Boosted by the surge in apparel exports, textile imports more rapidly increased in 2002. In November, imports even rose 48.59% in HS chapter 54 (man-made filament yarns and fabrics) while increasing by 36% in HS chapter 55 (man-made staple fiber yarns and fabrics).

In the first eleven months of 2002, imports finally rose 27.6% at US$667 million in chapter 54 while being up 52% in chapter 55 at US$765 million.

Korean and Taiwanese exporters of polyester fabrics are the first suppliers on Turkish market. Fabrics also come from the European Union.

Turkey is by far EU's first clothing supplier but Turkish exporters also developed sales to the United States in the past decade.

Although threatened by the surge in fabric imports, Turkish textile industry took advantage of the rebound in the international market.

Exports rose 13% in November in category 52 (cotton fibers, cotton yarns and fabrics) but decreased by 6.5% in the January-November period.

Textile production recovered

Shipments also rebounded in November in HS chapters 54 and 55 (man-made filament and staple fiber products) but the low increase in chapter 54 or the slight decline in exports in chapter 55 observed since the beginning of the year is the clear sign of the difficulties met by Turkish textile exporters.

Textile production was up 0.2% in November, however, even increasing by 8.5% in the January-November period after declining 3.3% during the same months of 2001.

Woven apparel production was down 4.2% in November but rose 9.9% in the January-November period (against a 5.2% decline in 2001).