TURKEY: Online marketing to increase textile exports to EU

Having seen noticeable potential in online retail sales to the EU market, the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (DTM) rolled up its sleeves to promote more Turkish textile products -- from home textiles to ready-wear -- to the European market than is currently sold via online sales sites. With studies in this regard already under way, the DTM expects the new program to help increase Turkey's textile exports to the European market.

As part of the new program, more textile firms will be encouraged to engage in online marketing, particularly on some of the EU's most-visited retail sites. The DTM recently started a joint program with the trade undersecretariats of some of the EU's leading textile markets. As the first step of this program, the DTM and a French textile company, 3 Suisses, agreed to establish a joint trade commission to promote Turkish products in the French market. The French firm has an annual 1 billion euro turnover from its operations in France.

The Bursa-based Uludağ Exporters Union (UİB) has called on textile firms to apply to be chosen among firms that will eventually have the opportunity to start trade with 3 Suisses. Companies have until May 17 to apply to the UİB.

Having left the adverse impacts of last year's global financial crisis behind, Turkish textile exporters have been enjoying a "better than anticipated" boom in new orders in the first quarter of this year. Industrial turnover in the sector increased by 30.6 percent in February over the same month of 2009, while textile exports reached $6 billion in the first quarter of 2010.