Dear readers,
Our industry, despite all the negative effects of the pandemic, in 2021; continued to grow and expand its targets with the vaccination and normalization in the export markets.
In 2021, the export of Ceramic Tile Materials has exceeded the 150 million m2 threshold and the amount has approached 1 billion dollars with an increase of 25% compared to the previous year. Our Ceramic Sanitary Ware exports increased by 26% in value and amounted to approximately 11 million pieces and 340 million dollars. Exports of the ceramic industry with all its sub-branches grew by 30%. Our goal for the future is to be permanent in our export markets and to ensure sustainable growth. For this, our sector, which is in an investment attack, will continue to work with all its strength to provide foreign currency inflows to our country with our high added value rate.
The export figures reached in the ceramic industry in 2021 are pleasing and motivating, as well as the ongoing epidemic conditions all over the world in 2022 and the recovery efforts of the world economy, especially the economic developments in our country towards the end of the year, the EU antidumping investigation, energy restrictions and price increases, Russia-Ukraine war has also deeply affected our industry.
As the Turkish Ceramics Federation, each main topic that closely concerns our industry is followed closely and necessary initiatives are taken. In order to prevent production and exports from being affected by the increased costs especially due to natural gas and electricity, great efforts are made to implement regulations and incentives to support production in order to remove the legal restrictions in Sile clays due to the supply interruption regarding Ukraine clays.
As the Turkish Ceramics Federation, an important item on our agenda is to closely follow the comprehensive changes that the EU will implement within the scope of the European Green Deal (EGD), especially the carbon regulation at the border. The European Council has formalized its position on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulation, which is one of the key elements of the European Union's “Fit for 55” package. The ceramic industry is not included in the scope. In 2025, it is anticipated that CBAM will be reviewed and expanded to more sectors and/or indirect emissions from 2026. It is possible that from 2026 at least some sectors of the ceramic industry will be included in the system. Again, our country ratified the Paris Agreement last November. Turkey's Green Deal Action Plan, which consists of 32 targets and 81 actions, was announced by the Ministry of Commerce. As a sector, the realization of sectoral harmonization is followed meticulously by working closely with our ministries.
Dear readers, Ceramics Bathroom Kitchen Fair (UNICERA), Turkey's largest specialized fair, was held in November 2021with the intense interest of 115 thousand industry professionals, including 27 thousand foreigners. Buyers participating in the fair from over 130 countries, including the USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, England, India and Russia, showed great interest in the new products and collections exhibited by 1200 leading brands of the ceramics industry. International B2B meetings with participating companies resulted in new trade agreements.
I hope that the success of our sector in exports last year despite the pandemic, will continue in 2022. We will continue to strive to reduce the negative effects of the epidemic and economic developments on our production and to protect employment; I hope to be able to build a growth based on sustainability, the Paris Climate Agreement and the goals we have set as a country, sectoral harmony, especially economic stability and the recovery of the industry, together with the public.
Kind regards.
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