Balıkesir Chamber of Industry hosted the “Aegean Export Meetings-Balıkesir” meeting organized by Aegean Exporters' Associations in cooperation with Economy Newspaper. At the meeting, the "Balıkesir Stars of Export Award Ceremony" was held, in which the 2022 companies that exported the most among the members of the Aegean Exporters' Association in 5 were awarded.
While İşbir Sentetik Dokuma Sanayi Anonim Şirketi became the Balikesir Export Champion among the members of Aegean Exporters' Association in 2022, Simtek Import Export Industry and Trade Limited Company won the award for the second largest exporter in Balıkesir. While Milano Wood Coating Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company took the third place of the summit, D-Stil Marble Foreign Trade, Interior Architecture Industry and Trade Limited Company won the fourth place and Kozaklı Tarım Ürünleri Ticaret Limited Şirketi took the fifth place.
The Aegean Exporters' Unions Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi and his delegation, who went to the Kuva-yi Milliye City Balıkesir for the “Aegean Export Meetings-Balıkesir” meeting, hosted the Balıkesir Chamber of Industry Chairman Nazmi Race throughout the day. The delegation made its first visit under the guidance of BSO President Nazmi Yaris; He did it to the Governor of Balıkesir, Hasan Şıldak. During the visit, possible cooperation between Balıkesir and Aegean Exporters' Associations was discussed.
The second stop of the EIB delegation in Balıkesir was the factories of İşbir Holding, which was the export champion of Balıkesir in 3 among the EİB members, which was established by 500 expatriates working in Germany and the Netherlands by joining forces in 1968.
Speaking at the visit at İşbir Holding, Metin Gültepe, Chairman of the Executive Board of İşbir Holding, stated that they produce semi-finished yarn and fabric for the BigBag product used as industrial packaging material in their factories in Balıkesir Organized Industrial Zone. He stated that they produce carpet floor 1968st and 1nd floor fabrics for the wall-to-wall carpet industry. Gültepe said, “As İşbir Sentetik, we are the first manufacturer of this product in Turkey. Isbir Sentetik achieved sales of 2 million USD in 2022. We exported 110 percent of our sales. As İşbir Sentetik, we brought in USD 64 million in foreign currency to our country in 2022”.
EIB delegation, within the scope of Balıkesir program; Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Rahmi Kula and Balıkesir Young Businessmen Association (BAGİAD) Chairman of the Board of Directors Emrah Bilcanlı also visited.
“It is extremely pleasing to see that Balıkesir has broken its own record in 2022 with its exports approaching 1 billion dollars,” said Governor Şıldak, “The establishment of new OIZs in Balıkesir OIZ and all over Balıkesir, industry, agriculture, commerce and trade in Balıkesir. It is exciting that other areas are developing and that the foundations of Marmara OSB, where high-tech products will be produced, are being laid. With the participation of our Minister of Industry and Technology, the foundations of 14 of our factories will be laid here. This is an extremely exciting development. We also see great moves in the field of agriculture. I would like to say that the export figures, which are pronounced as 1 billion dollars today, will reach 2-3 billion dollars in a short time, and if the tax office records are in our province, it can easily reach 5 billion dollars. Balıkesir is not only an agricultural city, but also a developing city in the industry, tourism and mining sectors.
Describing Balıkesir as an excellent tourism and gastronomy destination with its lands spread across our two geographical regions, its shores to our two seas, and dozens of products that have received or are trying to obtain geographical indications, Jak Eskinazi, the Coordinator of the Aegean Exporters' Associations, said, art Center. In food products; in an effort to crown its 34 different flavors with geographical indication. Geographical indications have been obtained for some flavors, while efforts are underway for others. In short, he spoke as “The City That Satisfies Turkey” with 10 flavors from Edremit olives to Ayvalık papalina, from Susurluk buttermilk to Gönen rice, from Ayvalık olive oil to Balıkesir cream.
Expressing that Balıkesir's exports, which were 2021 million dollars in 794, increased by 18 percent to 934 million dollars, Eskinazi continued his words as follows:
“Balikesir's imports are; It remained at $613 million. The ratio of Balıkesir's exports to imports reached 152 percent. I believe with all my heart that if we can provide a suitable ground for our exporters from Balıkesir, they will exceed the 100 billion dollar threshold in exports on the 1th Anniversary of our Republic.”
Eskinazi, who stated that “Balıkesir is a city that stands out with its industrial identity with 5 Organized Industrial Zones, 8 of which are in operation”, said, “There are 152 companies operating in the Balıkesir Organized Industrial Zone. A full 17 thousand people are employed in Balıkesir OIZ. The employment figure will reach 8 thousand at the end of 40 years. Balıkesir, with its gastronomy, tourism, history, culture, art, agriculture, industry, trade, mining, exports, and most importantly, with its successful and hospitable people, is a city with 10 ingenuity on 10 fingers, not only with its license plate number, but also in every aspect.”
Informing that 2022 companies contributed to Balıkesir's exports in 494, Eskinazi said that Balıkesir gained 2022 new exporting companies in 88 and that these companies received a share of 11 million dollars from Balıkesir's exports.
Sharing that the three countries that Balıkesir exports to the most are Iraq, the USA and Germany, Balıkesir Chamber of Industry President Nazmi Racing said that the sectors that export the most from Balıkesir are; He noted that there are aquaculture and animal products, electricity and electronics, automotive industry sectors.
Saying, “I would like to briefly talk about the difficulties we experienced when we evaluated the year 2022 as exporting companies," Racing concluded his words as follows:
“In addition to high inflation and difficulties in accessing finance; Electricity, natural gas and labor costs also increased significantly. As we could not reflect this increase in our product costs, our exporting companies started to experience difficulties due to the non-competitive exchange rate. Especially the companies that produce in the textile sector have expressed their grievances on every platform. As you know, most of our exports are made to the Euro zone. In the past months, the parity has been putting us in more trouble. However, the parity, which reached the level of approximately 1,07 as of December, has provided our exporters with the opportunity to breathe a little. Again, the obligation to exchange 2022 percent of export prices in 40 has created great difficulties especially for companies with import inputs and foreign currency debt. In addition, the Russia-Ukraine war, which started in 2022 and is still ongoing, continues to cause concern in global markets. The EYT regulation to be made in the first quarter of 2023 and the increase in the minimum wage and the reflections of the election economy have the possibility of pushing prices up again.”
Türk Eximbank Aegean Regional Manager Gülom Timurhan stated that they provide cash loans and receivables insurance services to Turkish exporters with the goal of a Turkey with a foreign trade surplus, and emphasized that as of the end of 2022, they provided $19,6 billion in credit support to exporters. Timurhan said, “At the end of 2022, the amount of insured receivables of exporters is 25,4 billion dollars. In 2022, we provided 45 billion dollars of support to exports.”
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