In 2022, approximately 6.5 billion dollars of exports from the mining sector

According to the statement made by the Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association (IMIB), the highest foreign sales in the mining sector, which increased its exports to 6 billion 469 million dollars with an increase of 9.13 percent, came from the metallic ores product group with 2 billion 172 million dollars.

Natural stones came in second with $2.1 billion, and industrial minerals came in third with $1.36 billion.

"We will focus on trade delegations"

Rüstem Çetinkaya, Chairman of the Mining Sector Board of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Mining Exporters Association (IMIB), whose assessments of the data were included in the statement, reported that they set out with an export target of $ 7.5 billion at the beginning of 2022, but could not reach the target due to the continuing effects of the recession in the USA and the EU and the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Stating that the mining sector still managed to achieve an export increase of 9.13 percent, Çetinkaya said, "We are also facing similar situations for next year. We do not expect our exports to increase much in the first 6 months of 2023. If there is no change in these conditions, we estimate that 2023 exports will be behind 2022. If the developments in the world change after the second 6 months of 2023, we can reach the same levels in exports as 2022 or we can go up a bit." 

As IMIB; Çetinkaya mentioned that they will focus on trade delegations in order to develop exports and create new markets and made the following statements:

"Although we have no chance to close the gap that will occur in our main markets, China and the EU markets, with other markets, we will try to support our exporters with trade delegation programs. We have no intention of stopping. The first Turkish Natural Stones Sectoral Trade Delegation program to be organized by IMIB in 2023 will be held in Saudi Arabia on January 21-27. In February, the program will be held in Vietnam.

Turkish Natural Stones Vietnam Sectoral Trade Delegation will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on February 22-25. On March 13-16, Turkish Natural Stones will be signed by the Qatar Sectoral Trade Delegation in Doha, Qatar. The second trade delegation organization of March will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 20-23. The address of the trade delegation program on May 23-26 will be France."