Exports from 11 Turkish provinces affected by the recent massive earthquakes in the country’s southeast amounted to $20.5 billion (TL 387.20 billion) last year, representing 9.05% of the country’s provincial-based exports.
The relevant data on the exports of the provinces, namely Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Adana, Kilis and Elazığ that were hit by the Feb. 6 earthquakes was revealed by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM).
Türkiye’s total exports grew 12.9% in 2022, reaching $254.2 billion, while exports made based on provinces (excluding free zones) increased by 9.72%, reaching $226.6 billion.
Gaziantep topped the list of the earthquake-affected provinces with the highest exports, reaching $10.5 billion, followed by Hatay with $3.6 billion, Adana with $3.0 billion, and Kahramanmaraş with $1.5 billion. The remaining provinces’ exports were as follows: Malatya $455 million, Elazig $373.7 million, Osmaniye $371.7 million, Diyarbakir $294.9 million, Şanlıurfa $257.3 million, Adıyaman $100.1 million, and Kilis $97.2 million.
The leading sector in Gaziantep’s exports, with a total of $2.9 billion, was grain, pulses, oilseeds, and related products, followed by carpets with $1.9 billion, textiles and raw materials with $1.7 billion, and chemicals and associated products with $1.22 billion.
The steel industry was Hatay’s top exporting sector, accounting for $2.06 billion of its exports.
In Adana, the chemical and related products sector contributed the most to exports, with $677.9 million, while textiles and raw materials led Kahramanmaraş’s exports with $868.9 million. Malatya’s top sector was dried fruits and related products, with exports amounting to $245.1 million, while Elazig’s top sector was mining products, particularly steel, with exports of $317.3 million. Osmaniye’s leading sector was mining products, with steel accounting for $280 million, while Diyarbakır’s top sector was chemicals and related products, with exports worth $57.5 million.
In Adıyaman, ready-made clothing and apparel exports reached $34.2 million, while electricity and electronics contributed $36.1 million to Kilis’s exports and $74.1 million to Şanlıurfa’s.
Iraq was the top destination for exports from these provinces. Gaziantep exported goods worth $1.98 billion to Iraq, followed by Adana with $306.2 million, Diyarbakır with $120.5 million, and Şanlıurfa with $75.9 million.
China was the top destination for Elazig’s exports, totaling $68.4 million. On the other hand, Malatya exported goods worth $65.1 million to the United States, while Kahramanmaraş’s top destination was Italy, with exports worth $248.9 million.
Adıyaman’s highest exporting country was Iran, with $25.2 million in exports, while Kilis’s top destination was Syria, with $79.7 million, and Yemen was Osmaniye’s top destination with $84.4 million in exports.
