The largest national economy of EU-Germany keeps its strength in the global market even at the times of crisis with its products developed through intense industry and RE&DE practices. German textile sector, where there are a lot of SME businesses, increases its power with the technical textile in foreign trade. One of most important trade partners of Turkey, Germany continues rising its strength through the developed industry and supply nets reaching global markets.
‘Germany for Textile Sector’ work published by Istanbul Textile &Apparel Exporters’ Associations examines Germany, which is the most important market and business partner of Turkish textile sector. Taking place among those industriliazied countries of the world with its 82 million population and more than 1,4 trillion Dollar export performance, Germany has a say in both Europe’s and world’s politics and economy.
Today a 2,3 million Turkish population lives in Germany, which makes up of 16 states and has a federative political structure. There is a 10 million employment in several fields such as automotive, electro-technic, machine and chemistry industries in Germany, which has a high and leading industry. The most important element of the German industry is the machinery segment.
In the work published, it is stated that % 90 of the German textile and apparel industry is kind of SME businesses. According to the data of 2010, 80.000 people are employed in the textile sector in 732 different companies and as for the apparel sector this employment figure is around 43.000 in 323 different companies. Germany has especially made a quick progress in the field of technical textiles. It is stated that there is a more than 21 million dollar technical textile market just in Europe. %60 of EU’s technical textile export is carried out by Germany, Italy, France, England and Belgium. According to the data of 2012, around 370 companies in Germany serve in the field of technical textiles.
Increase in Technical Textile Export of Germany
While Germany had an export of 12.11.655.000 dollar in 2013, it also made an import of 10.041.818.000 at the same period. In 2012 Turkey was in the 5th place with the textile export to Germany, and in 2013 this figure increased to 491.592 million dollar in a rate of 10,1.
Products in German textile import are as follows: a share of % 23,8 woven fabric with 2.386.981.000 dollar, % 19,5 yarn with 1.956.144.000 dollar , % 15,7 fiber with 1.575.652.000 dollar, %5 knit fabric with 501.593.000 dollar, home textile with 3.199.073.000 and technical textiles with 5.897.266.000 dollar.
According to the data of 2013, Turkey is in the 15th place in the fiber import of Germany with an amount of 41.847.000 dollar and a share of %2,7. Besides, Turkey got the 5. place in yarn import and reached to a share of 5,6 and an income of 109.607.000 Dollar. As for the woven fabric import of Germany, Turkey was in the 3. Place after Italy and China and acquired % 8,4 share and 201.096.000 Dollar of import income. In knit fabric import of Germany in 2013 Turkey got a share of % 7,7 and 38.533.000 income. Turkey, showing a quick progress in the field of home textiles, came the position of second biggest supplier of Germany. Turkey, reaching to %16,4 share in German home textiles, acquired 521,652,000 dollar import income. In the field of technical textiles Turkey had %3 of import income.
Germany and Turkey
Foreign trade between Germany and Turkey, which is around 37,9 billion dollar in total in 2013, seems to be on the side of Germany making 24,2 billion dollar export. In Turkey’s general export in 2013 with an amount of 151,8 billion dollar, Germany had a share of %9 with an amount of 13,7 billion dollar. In comparison with the last year whose general export decreased in a rate of %0,4 export to Germany still increased in a rate of 4,4. In the period of January-November in 2014, the general export of Turkey was %4,2 and specifically export to Germany had an increase of % 11,6.
In the economic relations between Turkey and Germany, textile and apparel sector has an essential place. The share of textile and apparel trade in two of the countries’ total trade was %9,6 in 2012 and this figure showed as %12,4 in the period of January-November in 2013. In the period of January-November of 2014 Turkey’s textile export to Germany rised up to %2,2 and 418,9 million dollar. However, textile import had a decrease of %7,7 with 406,8 million dollar. At the same period, Turkey’s apparel export to Germany rised to %7 and 3,6 billion dolar. The import from Germany in this segment came up to %12,3 with an increase of 34,6 million dollar.
