Hatay exports rise 78% despite earthquake devastation
Hatay in Türkiye rebounds from February’s earthquake with a 78% rise in April exports to $497 million
A new report released by the Ministry of Trade on Tuesday highlights Hatay’s remarkable progress in recovering its export industry, showing a surge in activity just a year after the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes.
Despite the devastation caused by February’s earthquakes, Hatay emerged as Türkiye’s top performer in April exports, with a staggering 78% increase year-on-year to $497 million, according to a new Ministry of Trade report.
Economist Omer Faruk Bingol of Türkiye daily sees Hatay’s export surge as a symbol of the city’s resilience, highlighting its “ability to recover quickly after the earthquake catastrophe.”
“The continuity of economic activity in Hatay, which is an important production base in sectors such as iron and steel, fresh vegetables and fruits, agriculture and textiles, is also positive for the business world and citizens in the region. As incentives last, we can see that the recovery in Hatay and other earthquake cities continues at a faster pace,” explains Bingol.
Sakarya followed Hatay with an $83 million increase in exports as Corum rounded up the top three improved cities with $78 million.
In the January-April period, exports in provinces all around Türkiye reached $82.873 billion, an increase of 2.7% compared to 2023 with 17 provinces making exports of over $1 billion, and 54 provinces increasing their exports. Exports for the month of April amounted to $19.271 billion, a modest increase of 0.1% compared to the same month a year earlier.
Istanbul leads exports
On the other hand, Istanbul emerged as the leading exporting province in April, registering $4.075 billion in exports despite a 6.6% decline from the previous year. Kocaeli followed with a 2.9% growth, while Izmir secured the third position among provinces with the most exports, with $1.84 billion.
Istanbul’s key export destinations included the U.K. ($340.31 million), Germany ($294.92 million), and the United Arab Emirates ($252.44 million).
Istanbul’s top export category was precious or semi-precious stones, with $777 million, followed by knitted apparel and accessories with $399.61 million and boilers and machinery with $392.19 million.
In Kocaeli, exports were led by motor vehicles ($760.68 million), mineral fuels and oils ($364.24 million) and iron and steel ($169.6 million). Kocaeli exported primarily to Germany ($175.89 million) and the U.K. ($163.27 million).
In Izmir, mineral fuels and oils led exports with $554.332 million, followed by boilers and machinery ($169.74 million) and iron and steel ($127.4 million). Izmir’s biggest markets were Romania ($211.18 million), Germany ($165.77 million), and the United States ($118.1 million).
Soruce: Newsroom
