Turkey, a large consumer market, is known in the sector also as a key production center with its proximity to raw material sources and export advantages. Turkish origin lubricants and petroleum products are becoming prominent in the market with their quality.
Turkey, thanks to its many favorable characteristics, has an important place among other countries in the world. Its geographic location and its level of development are at the top of these characteristics. The country’s fertile soil, advanced industry, strong economy and hardworking people take it to a good level in production and trade.
Our export figures are increasing every year with sustainable and innovative approaches. In 2018, a record was broken with an increase of 7.1 percent in exports, reaching 168.1 billion dollars. Among the sectors that have the highest number of exports, the automotive sector comes first with an export volume of 31.6 billion dollars. Following the automotive and the ready-made clothing and garment sector, the chemicals and chemical products sector has the third highest export volume with 17.4 billion dollars.
Commenting on the export numbers of the chemical industry in January, Adil Pelister, Chairman of the Executive Board of Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters Association (IKMIB) said; “Our chemical industry has drawn a successful graph in 2018 and took the third place with 17.4 billion dollars of exports, following the automotive and the ready-made clothing and garment sector. This year we made a good start in our exports as the chemical industry. In January, our sector’s exports increased by 13.02 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and realized 1 billion 529 million dollars of exports. In line with our target of having the second highest export volume on an annual basis, we took the second place in January 2019. As IKMIB, we will continue to support our exporters with the participation of the national participation fair organization, sector trade delegation and procurement committee organizations that we plan to carry out in 2019. Knowing our responsibility to meet our 200 billion dollar national target, we will work harder to reach the 20 billion dollar limit by increasing the exports of our sector by 15 percent.” |
Ever-increasing performance in chemical exports
The export performance of the chemical industry is constantly increasing. According to the IKMIB data, in January 2019, chemical exports increased by 13.02 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and amounted to 1 billion 529 million dollars. The lubricants sector has a significant share in this success.
The lubricants sector, which is an important part of the chemical industry, is among the thriving sectors of the country. The country’s high domestic consumption makes it a major market, while the advantages and conveniences that Turkey offers allow it to be referred to as a lubricants hub. As a result of the country’s potential, a high number of global companies are carrying out their production operations in Turkey and export their products to many countries from here. At the same time, Turkish companies can have competitive power in the global market with their quality and price advantage.
Many lubricant companies have production operations in Turkey, such as Castrol, ExxonMobil, Shell and Total. In addition to this, nearly 110 Turkish lubricant producers are exporting their products to approximately 120 countries each year.
Tayfun Koçak, Chairman of the Executive Board of Lubricants and Petroleum Products Industrialists’ Association (MAPESAD) said; “The Turkish lubricant sector is a very big sector. Products produced in Turkey draw attention in the world market with their high quality. Turkey’s location advantage is a very important factor in this respect. Most of the additives used in lubricant production come from Europe. In this sense, Turkey’s proximity to Europe saves time for producers and it also provides cost advantage thanks to duty-free trade and low logistics costs. The presence of a Group I base oil refinery in the country is also an important factor. In addition to all these, advanced industrial production, highly developed packaging industry and logistics allow a manufacturer, which has a production plant in Turkey, to meet all the needs for the entire production and transport processes in a single location to the very best. Thanks to the intense activities of domestic and foreign manufacturers, today Turkey began to be referred as a lubricants hub and I be lieve this position will soon gain recognition worldwide.” |
Turkish lubricant sector attracts attention with its level of development and size
Turkey offers advantages in terms of both raw material and proximity to major consumers. It is possible to bring base oil and additives from Europe, Middle East and Central Asia and produce high quality lubricants with low cost in Turkey, while at the same time, these products can be exported from here to the world.
The fact that Turkey is a growing consumer market in Turkey is another key factor. In Turkey, the number of vehicle registered in traffic by the end of 2018 is 22.9 million and this figure is rising every year. This requires the automotive lubricants and fluids market to be substantial.
Besides, thanks to its advanced industrial sector, the industrial oil consumption is very high in Turkey. The highly developed glass, cement, iron and steel, plastic and mining industries as well as intensive agricultural activities in the country significantly increase the consumption of industrial oils, hydraulic fluids and tractor oils. In addition to these, the construction sector’s being one of the most important sectors in Turkey indicates that there is a high demand for the oils and fluids used in construction machinery.
Turkish origin products, acclaimed worldwide with their quality and preferred for their cost advantages, stand out in the world market; whereas Turkey asserts itself both as a production center for global lubricant manufacturers and as a country that has high potential and offers many opportunities for domestic producers.
