Organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade, UTİB’s national participation included two fairs held concurrently on July 16-17, 2024. While a total of 50 companies from Turkey participated in the Premiere Vision New York Fair, 5 Turkish firms took part in the Functional Fabric Fair Summer Fair. Assessing the US market and the events, UTİB President Pınar Taşdelen Engin highlighted the significance of these initiatives for the sector. Engin noted that the Premiere Vision New York Fair was the 47th edition and the Functional Fabric Fair wasthe 8th edition, stating, “The US market is highly important and a growing market for Turkish textile sector exports. In the first half of the year, we achieved a 13% growth in exports to the US, totaling $253 million. While we have seen growth compared to last year, it is not yet sufficient. As the world’slargest importer, the US presents an opportunity fous to achieve exports exceeding a billion dollars. We believe we can achieve this goal with the normalization of economic conditions and regaining price competitiveness.”
Engin also emphasized that Turkish companies established significant collaborations during the fairs, saying, “Our companies are attracting attention with their quality and innovative productsBursa plays a crucial role in the development of the Turkish textile sector in this regard. Alongside quality and innovation, we are striving to enhance branding efforts. To strengthen our presence in the US market, we need to increase the number of branded companies. In the first half of the year, UTİB achieved an 11% increase in exports to the US, amounting to $58.5 million. We will continue our efforts to reach the potential exportfigures both in Bursa and throughout Turkey.”
