While the chemical sector's share of Turkey's total exports was 13.1 percent, this rate was 3.56 percent for our plastics sector. The Aegean Region's share in the exports of our plastics sector corresponds to 13 percent with 1 billion 196 million dollars.
Şener Gencer
Aegean Plastics Industrialists' Association (EGEPLASDER)
Chairman of the Board
The year 2024 has passed with an investment and production climate dominated by extremely difficult conditions for both our sector and the Turkish economy. Despite the 18 percent increase in exchange rates, it was a year of very difficult conditions, with our operating costs increasing even above the official inflation rate of 44 percent. We tried to compensate for the difference by losing our companies' working capital or our personal savings. However, we also know that this situation is not sustainable. This year, we maintain our hope that more moderate figures, at the 20 percent level, will be seen in inflation. Despite all these negativities, our exporters who produce at a loss and sell their goods at a loss to avoid losing export markets deserve a strong round of applause.
PLASTICS' SHARE IN EXPORTS IS 3.56 PERCENT
The chemical sector, which became our country's second-largest exporting sector with an export figure of 2.71 billion dollars in December, realized a total of 30.7 billion dollars in exports in 2024. Our "Plastics and Products" sector, part of the chemical industry, exported 574 million dollars more in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching an annual export figure of 9.5 billion dollars. While the chemical sector's share of Turkey's total exports was 13.1 percent, this rate was 3.56 percent for our plastics sector. The Aegean Region's share in the exports of our plastics sector corresponds to 13 percent with 1 billion 196 million dollars.
Considering the fact that our country's only domestic petrochemical product manufacturer is located in İzmir, and our region is one of the most important production centers in the plastics sector, we cannot say that our exports are sufficient.
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION'S SHARE IS BELOW 10 PERCENT
The decrease in our domestic producer Petkim's production and market share below 10% each year, and the closure of its factories one by one, further exacerbates our sector's already alarming dependence on imports.
The Aegean Plastics Industrialists' Association (EGEPLASDER) has been drawing attention to this problem for many years, and we call on public authorities to take action.
We believe that our government should re-enter the petrochemical sector as an investor by correctly interpreting global developments and sectoral trends, and considering the economy of scale. We believe that the state can also invest in petrochemicals without hindering or competing with the private sector's existing and planned investments.
The state can produce solid and liquid petrochemicals that are not produced in our country or for which we are highly dependent on imports, rather than the products produced by Petkim and our other companies. The public authority can easily make this planning by bringing all stakeholders around a table. Petrochemicals is a knowledge, capital, and technology-intensive sector. Therefore, expecting all investments from the private sector is not compatible with fairness.
The state established, grew, and privatized Petkim. It can easily establish a new, fully integrated petrochemical complex. It should not be forgotten that the world's largest petrochemical companies are predominantly publicly managed or state-owned companies.
In Turkey's petrochemical sector, no matter who produces what, they cannot be a competitor to another. This investment will also have a positive impact on Turkey's foreign trade deficit and current account deficit. Because everyone knows that, especially as the plastics sector, we have to import that raw material to produce. Otherwise, we cannot operate our plastics sector, which is the world's seventh and Europe's second largest production power.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.