Turkish houseware sector targets $6B in exports

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's houseware sector, which closed last year with total exports of $4.5 billion under pandemic conditions, is targeted to reach the $5.5 billion to $6 billion level this year, said the chairman of the largest sector association.

Recalling that the sector's exports amounted to $3 billion during the first half of this year, Mesut Oksuz, head of the Turkish Houseware Association (Zucder), said the sector is on the way towards its targets.

The sector took measures against the pandemic rapidly, organized B2B summits and concentrated on online channels for reducing the outbreak's effects, he told Anadolu Agency.

Recalling that China stopped production activities due to the pandemic conditions which caused supply problems, he stressed that the Turkish houseware sector filled the gap quickly.

The sector is the fifth-largest net exporter of Turkey posting $3.6 billion export surplus annually, and its price per kilogram in exports is $3.38, he highlighted.

- Markets

In 2020, the largest houseware exporters were China, Germany, the US, Italy and the UK, respectively, he said, adding during the last five years, the UK, Germany and France were the main three export markets for Turkey.

These three countries constituted 25% of the country's houseware exports -- $1.1 billion -- he noted.

While the largest houseware importers globally were the US, Germany, the UK, France, Japan, the Netherlands and Canada, Turkey's share in their houseware imports is around 3%, he said.

"We should increase this share via fairs and B2B events. The EU's share in our sector's exports is 51%. We aim to increase this share to 60% as of the end of 2021."

Saying that Africa is also an important market for the sector, he noted that Turkey and the continent's overall trade volume was $5.4 billion in 2003 and has reached $25 billion.

"We realized a B2B event with Kenya, which is an important market for us. As the middle class develops in Kenya, the demand for houseware, furniture and durable goods is expected to grow," he added.

The Turkish houseware sector aims to strengthen its position in Kenya, where Turkish brands have a good image, he underlined.

"We target to increase our sales in Kenya by benefiting from the perception of the quality Turkish brands," he added.

- Zuchex 2021

Touching on the International Zuchex Home and Kitchenware Fair (Zuchex), which was held in Istanbul last month, Oksuz said the event generated a business volume of $1 billion.

After a long period under strict pandemic conditions, businesspeople miss face-to-face communication and analyzing products, he said.

The event was 30% more crowded than pre-pandemic events, he noted.