For the first six months of 2018, Turkey’s apparel and clothing exports went up 7.7 per cent. The share of apparel and clothing exports in the country’s overall exports stood at 10.8 per cent. The share was 11.1 per cent for the first half of 2015, 12.3 per cent for the first half of 2016 and 10.7 per cent for the first half of 2017.

Turkey exports ready-to-wear apparel mostly to Germany, Spain and the UK followed by the Netherlands and France. For the first six months, the country’s apparel exports to Germany rose 7.2 per cent while exports to Spain rose 26.8 per cent. Turkey’s exports to the UK, increased 1.9 per cent.

Knitted garments were the most exported product group from Turkey in the first six months of 2018, increasing by 6.3 per cent. Woven apparel goods and accessories were the second most exported product group that saw an increase of 9.7 per cent. Exports of readymade goods, including home textile products, surged 7.6 per cent.

During the first six months, the unit prices for knitted apparel products fell 0.5 per cent from what they were in the first six months of 2017. Woven apparel unit prices increased 6.7 per cent.