Chemicals exports see 31 pct rise April, hit $1.8B

According to the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Association (İKMİB), the chemical industry's exports saw a 30.84 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year and stood at $1.8 billion. The four-month export figures of the chemical industry, which maintained second place in exports, increased by 22.23 percent to $6.8 billion. Meanwhile, Spain led the way in exports with $104.5 million last month, followed by the United States and Italy.

İKMİB Chairman Adil Pelister stated that while the chemical industry's exports continued to increase, the sector maintained its second place in exports for four months. "In April this year, we realized $1.8 billion in chemical exports with an increase of 30.84 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. In the four-month period of 2019, our exports increased by 22.23 percent to $6.8 billion," Pelister noted, recalling that Spain took the lead in the chemical industry exports this month, followed by the U.S. and Italy in the top three. "The rise in the mineral fuel exports was instrumental in the increase of our sector's exports," he added.

Stressing that after the Star Refinery, which was commissioned last year in the field of petrochemicals, commenced production and exports, the increase in the mineral fuel exports would accelerate. Pelister said 25 percent of Turkey's processed petroleum product needs would be covered by the Star Refinery. "In addition, the construction of a facility that will produce 450,000 tons of polypropylene per year will begin in the Ceyhan Petrochemical Industrial Zone this year," he continued. "As these and similar high-volume facilities become operational, our dependency on imports will decrease in our subsectors, making a positive contribution to our exports."