Turkish Apparel Sub-Industry on the Rise in the Global Market

The Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) has prepared its first report for 2024 on the apparel sub-industry sector. The report highlights that ’s share in global apparel sub-industry exports has increased to 1.96%, with export unit prices reaching their highest level at $6.90 per kilogram.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the sector, covering production, exports, employment, and global positioning. It notes that the number of apparel sub-industry firms increased from 744 in 2015 to 1,010 in 2022, with 49,010 people employed in the sector by the same year. It also emphasizes that production exceeded 1 million tons for the first time in 2021.

In 2022, the sector's production value reached 57.5 billion Turkish lira, with exports gradually increasing. Export values rose from $468.5 million in 2017 to $681.2 million in 2022. The domestic market size reached $3.71 billion in 2022. The indirect export contribution is approximately $2.5 billion, and the combined size of the textile and apparel sectors reached 1.3 trillion Turkish lira by 2022.

Globally, apparel sub-industry exports were $30 billion in 2017, rising to $33.63 billion in 2021, and reaching $34.83 billion with a 3.6% increase in 2022. ’s share of global exports rose from 1.56% in 2017 to 1.96% in 2022.

Vehbi Canpolat, a Board Member of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (İTHİB), emphasized that the apparel sub-industry plays a crucial role in adding value to textile and apparel products and is key in reflecting fashion trends in production. Canpolat highlighted the importance of the sector’s development level for the supply chains and global competitiveness of the textile and apparel industries.