Turkish textile manufacturers move to Romania

Turkey’s textile businesses, which are deemed as very important for this country, are likely to move to Romania starting with this year, but especially in 2002, said Tamer Atalay, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Romania-Turkey (CCRT).

“Next year will be the peak in Romanian-Turkish ties in the field of textile manufacture. Large textile manufacturers, such as Yesim Tekstil, Kula Mensucat, Orka Group or Sarar, have already expressed their willingness to come to Romania and open some plants here,” Atalay said.

Textiles stood for 27% of total revenues derived from Turkey’s exports in 2000, as they amounted to 7.4 billion dollars.

Turkey’s Union of Textile Exporters plans to open a representative office in Romania, while Turkish investors intend to open here a centre of Turkish textiles, similar to those existing in Russia and the US.

According to CCRT chairman, the reasons why many textile producers have chosen to come to Romania are the Turkish economic crisis and the opportunities Romania offers to investors.

“Turkish businesspeople establish companies here as they are looking for long-term businesses and consider that they have faster access to EU countries through Romania,” Atalay said.

Following the Turkish economic crisis, textile exports dropped 9% over the first eight months of the year as compared to the year-ago period, amounting to 4.3 billion dollars.

Turkish textile producers have chosen Romania for opening new plants, as the cheap but skilled labour force allows them to cut production costs and remain competitive on the foreign markets.

According to Atalay, the first thing that needs to be done is persuading the Romanians of the high quality of Turkish products. Romanians have got the wrong picture, as small Romanian traders bring goods that were rejected for export.

“Several kinds of goods Turkey exports in Germany are then imported from this country to Romania, maybe just because the Romanians are more confident in a “Made in Europe” label.

But few Romanians know that some world renown brands, such as Pierre Cardin, are manufactured in Turkey,” CCRT chairman said. In an attempt to solve these problems, CCRT will organise a week of the Turkish textile industry over the next months.