An Empirical Analysis of Turkiye’s Forest Products Exports: Trends, Markets, and Product Competitiveness

Türkçe

The forest products industry plays an important role in Türkiye’s economy, supporting employment, production, and international trade. Although the country has abundant forest resources and has increased its production capacity, especially in wood-based panels, the sector still faces several challenges. Issues such as a fragmented industry structure, limited technological development, and insufficient capital make it difficult for firms to compete effectively in global markets. In this context, this study examines Türkiye’s forest products sector's export performance by identifying the most important product groups and key importing countries, with the aim of better understanding its contribution to the national economy. The study uses export data from 2015 to 2024, primarily obtained from the Trademap. The data were analyzed using Python-based tools. A combination of descriptive statistics, trend analysis, market share evaluation, and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) calculations was used to explore export patterns across different products and markets. The results show that exports increased notably after 2020, despite some short-term fluctuations. Middle Eastern countries, especially Iraq, remain the main importers of Turkish forest products. However, recent trends suggest that exports are gradually diversifying toward European markets, which show the fastest growth rates. At the product level, fibreboard (Product 4411) clearly stands out as the leading export category, followed by builder’s joinery and particleboard. Findings suggest that focusing on high-value products and fast-growing markets could further improve export performance.Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of developing more targeted export strategies that prioritize competitive product groups and emerging markets.