Turkey, a net importer of cotton since 1993, with an annual
production fluctuating around 900,000 tons, and consumption
exceeding 1.5 million tons, has to import 700,000-750,000 tons of
cotton annually to meet the demands of its strong textile and
clothing industry. The majority of Upland cotton imports come from
the United States, Greece, the Syrian Arab Republic, Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan, while long and extra-long staple (ELS) cotton imports
come from Egypt and the United States. Because of its Customs Union with the European Union (EU),
Turkey has adopted zero tariff rates for cotton, while the
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and most-favoured nation
(MFN) rates have been lowered considerably and made identical with
the EU rates for industrial products. Turkey's exports of textiles
and clothing products have been increasing even since the beginning
of the quota-free era, largely due to inherent strengths of its
domestic textile and clothing industry. Two scenarios have been prepared to reflect possible market
prospects for cotton for the next 10 years, assuming an incremental
domestic production growth as well as sizeable imports in both
scenarios. LDC exporters need to improve their standards, eliminate or
minimize contamination and supply consistent quality in order to
penetrate the Turkish cotton market. LDCs should also continue
marketing their cotton through international trading companies,
until importing countries become adequately familiar with the
characteristics of their cotton. |