Türkiye’s chocolate confectionery exports surge by 61 pct

IZMIR

Türkiye’s chocolate confectionery industry has posted a record-breaking performance in the first half of 2025, with exports soaring by 61 percent to reach $743.5 million, up from $461 million in the same period last year.

While the country’s overall export growth was limited to just 4 percent, chocolate-based products have emerged as a star sector, driving optimism across the industry.

Chocolate, which triggers the release of endorphins — the so-called “happiness hormone” — continues to attract consumers of all ages across global markets. Turkish exporters capitalized on the demand, expanding their reach to 180 countries.

Notably, exports to Belgium, a country long regarded as synonymous with high-quality chocolate, rose by a staggering 441 percent, leaping from $3 million to $16.5 million. Germany, another chocolate powerhouse, imported $38.2 million worth of Turkish chocolate products — a 387 percent increase from the previous $7.8 million.

Muhammet Öztürk, a sector representative, highlighted the sector’s strong momentum, noting that Türkiye closed 2024 with 1.258 billion in chocolate exports, up 10 percent from the previous year.

“In 2025, we’ve achieved triple-digit growth in exports to key markets such as Belgium, Germany, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Jordan, Hungary, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, Australia, Norway, Czechia and Ukraine. From the Aegean region alone, we contributed $52 million to this success,” he said.

Öztürk also emphasized the significance of the growth among soaring global cocoa prices, adding, “Given the challenges in raw material costs, this export performance is a true success story. We believe that by the end of 2025, our sector will surpass $2 billion in export revenue.”

Iraq led the list of top buyers with $80 million in imports. Exports to the U.S. jumped by 296 percent, while sales to Iran rose 70 percent. Other major surges included the U.K. (up 628 percent) and France, which saw a remarkable 1,139 percent increase.