Textile sector exports surpass $7 billion in nine months

ISTANBUL

The Turkish textile sector achieved exports worth $7.05 billion in the first nine months of 2025.

Producers shipped 1.87 million tons of products to 199 countries and free zones between January and September. This generated $7.05 billion in revenue, marking a 0.5 percent increase compared to the $7.02 billion recorded in the same period last year.

The largest share of exports went to the European Union, totaling $2.67 billion. Exports to African countries rose by 16.5 percent, reaching $1.09 billion, making Africa the region with the highest growth in the nine-month period.

By country, the top export destination was Italy with $564 million, followed by Egypt with $411 million and Spain with $388 million.

In terms of product groups, the highest exports were in fabrics, amounting to $4.38 billion. This was followed by yarn with $1.8 billion and fiber with $873 million.

Among Turkish cities, Istanbul led with $2.77 billion in textile exports, followed by Gaziantep with $1.16 billion and Bursa with $910 million.

Ahmet Öksüz, Chairman of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association, emphasized that the Turkish textile industry continues its determination in production and exports despite global challenges.

He noted that the sector’s main priority is to maintain its current market share while increasing branded and value-added exports.

They are focusing on strengthening our role in key markets such as the U.S. and the EU. Our exports to the U.S. exceeded $780 million in 2024, and we aim to raise this figure further by the end of this year, he said.

“At the same time, we are working to become more active in alternative markets such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, North African countries and Vietnam through trade and procurement delegations,” Öksüz added.