Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of the Board of the Plastics Industrialists Federation (PLASFED), was a guest on the Fokus program hosted by Alara Akgün, which airs on Bloomberg HT. The program evaluated the slowdown in industry, foreign trade data, and regulations concerning the plastics sector.
Karadeniz stated that the PMI data announced by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry reveals the current state of the industry, noting that the decline of the index from 49.3 to 47.9 points to a weakening in production.
Expressing that there are multiple reasons behind the slowdown in industry, Karadeniz said, “Geopolitical developments and the environment of war on a global scale have a direct impact on trade. In particular, while the decline in export orders is reflected in the PMI data, the conflicts in the Middle East pose not only a regional but also a global economic risk.”
Touching upon Turkey's foreign trade data, Karadeniz stated that exports reached approximately 41 billion dollars in the first two months of 2026, while imports exceeded 58 billion dollars, noting that the rate of increase in imports is noteworthy.
Emphasizing that production is the fundamental strength of the economy, Karadeniz stated that the high-interest-rate environment makes it difficult for industrialists to access financing and that the exchange rate balance is of great importance for exporters.
Speaking about the regulations regarding single-use plastic products, Karadeniz stated that the solution lies in establishing a robust waste management system rather than bans. Expressing that waste sorting at the source and the deposit return system should be expanded, Karadeniz said that the plastics sector has a significant share within the chemical industry and that it is important to protect the investments made.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.