Business · Trade · 6 hrs ago
Turkish Leather Exports Top $16 per Kilogram
Turkey’s leather and leather goods sector raised its export value to more than $16 per kilogram this year, up from about $14 in 2025.
The figure measures the value of exports for each kilogram shipped, while Turkey’s average across all sectors is about $1.50 per kilogram.
An Istanbul exporters’ group honored 254 firms for their 2025 export performance at a ceremony on October 14, 2026.
The sector exported more than $1.1 billion in the first nine months of 2026, according to its industry association president, Güven Karaca.
The sector began the year with exports down 8% to 9%, but the gap compared with the same period last year had narrowed to less than 1%.
Karaca hopes exports will finish the year at the 2025 level, though he said price competition is making it harder to turn the sector’s quality and design strengths into orders.
The industry aims to return to lasting export growth, and has brought purchasing representatives from 27 major US and European brands to Turkey for meetings with exporters.
Turkey’s leather and leather products sector raised its average export value to more than $16 per kilogram in 2026, up from about $14 in 2025.
The sector exported more than $1.1 billion in the first nine months of 2026.
Its export decline compared with the same period of 2025 had narrowed to less than 1%, after the year began with an 8–9% drop.
The Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association honoured 254 companies for their 2025 export performance.
The sector’s chairman said price competitiveness remained a challenge despite the industry’s strengths in quality, design and flexible production.
- Who
- The Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association honoured 254 companies. The sector’s chairman is Güven Karaca.
- What
- The sector reported export value of more than $16 per kilogram, and 254 firms received awards for their 2025 export performance.
- When
- The award ceremony was held on 14 October 2026. The export figures cover the first nine months of 2026.
- Where
- The ceremony took place at the Foreign Trade Complex in Istanbul, Türkiye.
- Why
- The awards recognised companies’ export achievements and contributions to the sector’s competitiveness in international markets.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The leather sector’s average export value was about $14 per kilogram.
The association held an awards ceremony in Istanbul for companies’ 2025 export performance.
The sector recorded exports of more than $1.1 billion, with its year-on-year export decline below 1%.
The sector’s average export value rose to more than $16 per kilogram.
- Awarded firms
- 254
- 2026 exports, first nine months
- More than $1.1 billion
- Export value per kilogram, 2026
- More than $16
- Export value per kilogram, 2025
- About $14
- Awards by category
- 9 Platinum; 27 Gold; 57 Silver; 70 Bronze; 91 Achievement
What people are saying
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