Despite global uncertainties, geopolitical risks, and increasing cost pressures, the plastics sector, with its strong production infrastructure, wide product range, and high export capability, achieved approximately 10 billion dollars in exports in 2025. Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of the PLASFED Board, emphasized that this success significantly contributed to Turkey's overall export growth, clearly demonstrating the production power, flexibility, and global competitiveness of Turkish industry.
Turkey achieved a historic success in exports in 2025, despite global economic uncertainties, regional conflicts, and pressures on trade. According to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), Turkey's exports increased by 4.5 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 273.4 billion dollars. This performance once again demonstrated the production power, export capability, and global competitiveness of Turkish industry.
In 2025, the automotive sector made the largest contribution to exports with 41.5 billion dollars, while the chemicals and chemical products sector became Turkey's second-largest exporting sector with 31.9 billion dollars in exports. The electrical-electronics sector ranked third with 17.7 billion dollars in exports.
Among the chemical substances and products groups, plastics and plastic products maintained their clear leadership position in 2025 with 9.567 billion dollars in exports. The plastics sector was followed by mineral fuels and products with 7.133 billion dollars in exports, while inorganic chemicals ranked third with 3.673 billion dollars in exports.
“Plastic exports are growing”
Evaluating the export performance of 2025, the President of PLASFED, the umbrella organization of the plastics sector, emphasized that the highest export figure in the history of the Republic was reached despite global economic contraction, geopolitical risks, and trade wars.
Karadeniz stated that the chemical sector is Turkey's second-largest exporting sector with approximately 32 billion dollars in exports, noting that the strongest driving force behind this success is the plastics industry. Karadeniz said, “As the plastics sector, we realized approximately 10 billion dollars in exports in 2025. This figure is a concrete indicator not only of our sector's production power but also of the Turkish industry's flexibility and resilience against crises. The plastics sector, with its high-technology-based production, wide product range, and export capability, is one of the key sectors sustaining Turkey's competitiveness in global markets.”
Karadeniz also stated, “The chemical sector plays a critical role in Turkey's exports not only with its size but also with the high added value it creates. At the heart of this value lies the plastics sector. The plastics industry is a strategic actor that provides the strongest support to the chemical sector's export performance and enhances Turkey's global competitiveness.”
Global conflicts affect trade
President Karadeniz stated that ongoing wars globally, regional conflicts, disruptions in logistics lines, and fluctuations in energy costs seriously affect world trade, adding that Turkish industrialists are facing a great struggle in this difficult process.
Karadeniz, “In the shadow of global conflicts; despite increasing costs, difficulties in accessing finance, and shrinking markets, Turkish industrialists and exporters who do not give up on production and exports are practically writing a heroic story. Turkish exporters have succeeded in protecting their markets and opening up to new ones despite all these difficulties.”
Emphasizing the importance of industry and export-oriented policies for the sustainable growth of the Turkish economy, Karadeniz stated that cost pressures on industrialists should be reduced, access to finance should be facilitated, and export-supporting structural reforms should be swiftly implemented.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.