Turkish exports to Qatar up 30% to $1.4bn in 2022, says industry expert

Turkish exports to Qatar witnessed a 30% year-on-year growth to reach $1.4bn in 2022, according to an official of an Istanbul-based consultancy firm.
The value of Turkish exports to Qatar breached the $1.2bn level last year, Deniz Kutlu, managing partner of Shedu Consulting, told Gulf Times in a statement.
“This increase made Qatar one of the fastest-growing export markets of Türkiye in 2022, together with the Russian Federation, Romania, Georgia, and Lebanon. I think, the main reason for this substantial increase in Turkish exports to Qatar was that 2022 has been a recovery year for many industries,” Kutlu explained.
Kutlu further explained that this “drastic recovery” in 2022 stemmed from the continuation of different projects that many companies in both Qatar and Türkiye had to postpone during the pandemic.
Citing trade data from the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM), the value of Turkish exports increased in the following industries: furniture (79%), apparel (55%), food and beverage (F&B) (over 50%), automotive (35%), and metals and hardware (34%).
“In 2022, our exports increased by 12.9% and exceeded $254bn, which is an all-record level for Türkiye. Hence, we can safely state that Türkiye has recovered from the negative impact of Covid-19 and has not been severely affected by the war in Ukraine.
“However, Türkiye’s ultimate goal is to reach the threshold of $500bn in the medium term. Accordingly, Türkiye would like to further increase its exports to global partners, including Qatar, to $500bn. $2bn is an ambitious but achievable goal in the short term,” Kutlu emphasised.
With the gradual opening of international markets, Kutlu said he is optimistic to witness further growth in Turkish-Qatari trade and economic relations.
“The source of Türkiye’s comparative advantage over China and other Far East countries is not low production costs. Rather, what makes Türkiye a popular source of imports for Qatar and other neighbouring countries is its capability for flexible manufacturing, which allows Türkiye to offer customised products in relatively low quantities compared to China’s mass production of undifferentiated products at low manufacturing cost,” Kutlu pointed out.
He added: “Türkiye’s second advantage in the Gulf region market is the relatively short delivery time compared to China. Türkiye’s customised production capability and its geographical proximity to the Gulf region make it possible to offer relatively short delivery times compared to China. Hence, recovery in China and other major economies in Asia will not negatively affect Türkiye’s bilateral trade with Qatar and I expect to witness further increase soon.”