For return to old days for textile export to USA which was carried out with 1.5 billion dollars rate but now with about 400 million dollars have been taken action. Especially gaining value of dollar made Turkish textile attractive in USA marketplace. For American consumers, Turkish textile became cheap. Besides, opening stores in USA by European textile brands and the products with Made in Turkey labels automatically created advertisement effect for Turkish textile quality.
Turkish textile suppliers who wanted to evaluate the interest born in USA gathered at the Shared Wisdom Meeting which the Association of Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters (ITHIB) organized with the Association of Turkish Clothing Industrialists (TGSD) to increase their effect at USA marketplace. At the meeting, by creating a study committee to increase the export level to USA and draw a new route map to carry to old levels, it was determined to start gathering and having an exchange of opinions with the companies and agents which carried out exports to this country before .
We will make assault to USA
The President of TGSD, Seref Fayat said that they were searching for an answer for the question of no matter how marketing method they followed and how they gained approved in USA like before and underlined that many Turkish labelled products such as Inditex Group, H&M and Marks & Spencer including Zara which started open stores in USA and he continued his words: “American buyers are exciting to see the Made in Turkey labels which they met at the stores. They saw that fashion pieces and best seller products are produced in Turkey. This automatically created an advertisement due to the label. Even we hadn’t started fort his study famous American textile group Ann Taylor sent a committee to Turkey and this committee carried out meetings with several firms. They even ordered a high amount of products to try Turkish products”.
Fayat who stated that they would make assault to USA to introduce their products in fall season, said ‘’ Total share of USA at ready wear export in Turkey is 2%, the value of Turkey in USA is only 0,5%. This is a funny number. There is one country which makes shopping as much as Europe. But we can only sell one tenth of we sell for Europe. We want to catch the level at least we reached in 2005. Our target is to realize 1,5 billon dollars export in 2017 again”.
We need to express ourselves well
The President of ITHIB, Ismail Gulle stated that Turkey had advantage on export for USA but entering there wouldn’t be so easy and Turkish fabric quality was known worldwide but the tax about 30% forced sector at ready wear. Gulle who said they had an important opportunity after they contacted with President and Prime Minister related to the subject, also said “we can create an advantage for us at the marketplace with quality product and quick supply. Here at this point, we need to find ways to express ourselves well”.
We need to analyze business models well
The Vice- President of Euratex, Rusen Cetin focused on the positive air in USA for Turkish textile and exemplified the Turkish agent firms were often knocked by American buyer committees recently. Cetin who stated to stay in contact with the firms which made business for long years with USA to open the doors of sector, also said that it was required to analyze the business model differences between Europe and USA well.
We have to go beyond Euro region
One another establishment which carries on a works for USA marketplace is the Association of Aegean Ready Wear and Outfit Exporters. Within this scope, The President of Association, Emre Kızılgunesler who stated that they started for building works of Turkish Trade Center in USA, referred at Ordinary General Financial Assembly of the Association of Aegean Ready Wear and Outfit Exporters that sector carried out the biggest export to the EU countries and euro lost value against dollar and this caused export value lost and therefore they needed to front alternative markets out of EU. Kızılgunesler recommended ready wear exporters to carry out more active export out of Euro region and said "Economies in EU countries which have not still completely entered to growth trends that is our biggest export market and Euro losing value against dollar are seen the biggest problems for the future period ".
Kızılgunesler who emphasized that ready wear exporters had to make more effort on diversifying of market subject said "We especially increase the export realized out of Euro Region. At the same time, we don’t have to forget that the future of our sector, design focused and the capacity of collection preparation of all firms need to increase ".
Turkish Trade Centers
Emre Kızılgüneşler by reminding the incentive of the Ministry of Economy to build Turkish Trade Centers in foreigner marketplaces to increase the power of Turkish exporters, said "We started to work without loss of time for establishing Turkish Trade Centers about our sector. We focused on alternatives marketplaces especially United States of America". Kızılgunesler who said that they targeted to gain power at the markets out of Union European with Turkish Trade Centers they planned to open recalled that ready wear sector signed under 19 billon dollar export last year in Turkey.
