According to the latest data of Istanbul clothing Exporters Association (IHKIB), the export of clothing and textiles in Turkey was 8 billion 730 million US dollars in the 6 months from January 2019 to June, down 1% from the same period last year.

During this period, Turkey's total exports increased by 2.2% to $88 billion, of which clothing and textiles accounted for 9.9%. But in June, the total export of garments was 1 billion 100 million US dollars, down 19.5% from the same period last year.

It is understood that Turkey's clothing products are mainly exported to Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the past 6 months, exports to Germany were $1 billion 500 million, down by 9.3%; exports to Spain were $1 billion 100 million, down 2.7%; exports to the UK amounted to 944 million 600 thousand US dollars, down 1.4%. Over the past 6 months, the main export markets for clothing in Turkey also include Holland, France, Iraq, the United States, Italy and Israel.

In terms of product category, the export of knitted garments dropped to US $4 billion 400 million, while the export of woven garments and accessories increased by 2% to US $3 billion 300 million.

According to relevant survey data, clothing and textiles and cars are considered to be the most important part of Turkey's industry. At present, Turkey's clothing and textiles can enter the European Union in a tax-free manner (through the European Mediterranean economic partnership agreement and the EU Customs Union), making it the largest export market in Turkey.

In order to promote production and export, the government of Turkey is aiming at infrastructure improvement, plans to increase the number of new railways for transportation, and plans to increase the number of logistics centers from 8 to 21. These improvements can further shorten the delivery time while reducing labor and input costs.