Growth in the United States and Africa partly offset weaker EU, Asian and Eastern European demand, while a strong June failed to reverse the half-year contraction.
Türkiye’s textile and raw-material exports declined 1.2% year on year to $5.614 billion during January–June 2026, according to the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association. Export volume fell more sharply—4.4% to 1.371 million tonnes—indicating a modest increase in average export value per kilogram. Textiles and apparel together generated $12.56 billion, down 1.1%, and represented 9.2% of Türkiye’s total exports.
June provides a late lift
June textile exports rose 20.7% to $1.005 billion, compared with $832 million a year earlier. The rebound covered almost every major category: technical textiles increased 25.6%, woven fabrics 24.1%, yarn 22.9%, home textiles 15%, fibres 34.5% and garment-industry supplies 27.3%. Knitted-fabric exports rose only 1.1%.
For the full six months, technical textiles remained the largest product group at $1.175 billion, up 0.7%. Woven fabrics increased 2% to $1.161 billion, while yarn advanced 0.5% to $1.125 billion. Knitted fabrics recorded the steepest decline, falling 11.2% to $721 million. Home textiles decreased 1.7% to $788 million, and fibre exports slipped 0.7% to $612 million.
US and Africa outperform
The European Union remained the largest regional destination, accounting for 41.1% of sector exports, but sales declined 1.3% to $2.309 billion. Africa grew 4% to $799.6 million, while exports to the Americas increased 14.7% to $523.1 million.
Italy remained the leading individual market at $435 million, down 0.8%. The United States moved closer, rising 14.1% to $409 million. Spain grew 8.5% to $313 million, while Germany fell 5.7% to $334 million.
Diversification becomes more important
Türkiye’s integrated production base, proximity to Europe and short lead times remain important advantages, but demand is increasingly uneven across regions and product groups. The second-half test will be whether June’s rebound develops into sustained orders—particularly for technical textiles, woven fabrics and US-bound products—or proves to be a temporary improvement.
Verification note: the linked article reports exports of $4.708 billion, but the official ITHIB sector total is $5.614 billion. The lower figure appears to use a narrower product classification that excludes parts of the officially reported textile portfolio.
