TURKISH GLASS INDUSTRY EXPECTS PROTECTION AGAINST THE CHINESE THREAT

The year 2025 holds great risks as well as opportunities for the Turkish glass industry. The sector, which has a deep-rooted history of ninety years, demands increased measures to protect domestic production against imports that create unfair competition.

Representatives of the Turkish glass industry, which has become the world's production base with a production and processing capacity of over four million tons, came together in Ankara, hosted by the Cement, Glass, Ceramic and Soil Products Exporters' Association (CCSIB). The current situation of the sector, risks, opportunities, solution suggestions and future goals were discussed at the meeting held with the participation of public, sector and company representatives, especially CCSIB Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors Tansu Kumru and Ministry of Trade Export General Manager Mehmet Ali Kilickaya.

2025 is full of risks and opportunities for the glass industry

CCSIB Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors Tansu Kumru stated that the Turkish glass industry, which was established in 1935, exported to more than 170 countries in its 90th year and was one of the leading sectors that reduced Turkiye's current account deficit with a 79 percent domestic value added rate. Emphasizing that they will provide uninterrupted products and services both in Turkiye and globally in 2024, Kumru made the following evaluations for 2025: “This year and the coming period contain great opportunities as well as great risks. The changing balances in the Middle East and the restructuring process in this geography offer great opportunities for all activity areas of glass, especially architectural glass that provides input to the construction industry. On the other hand, the USA's increasing protectionism against Asian countries, especially China, will also enable our country to grow in the US market. However, this protectionism of the USA also brings with it a great risk. Because countries such as China, Malaysia and Vietnam, which cannot turn to the US market, will direct their capacities to our country and Europe, which is our main export market. If we cannot take the necessary protectionist measures, these countries, with which we have difficulty competing due to their low-cost production, may gain more access not only to our export markets but also to our domestic market.”

“Protection measures should be increased to include IPR”

Stating that they are working in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce against this risk, Kumru said, “Increasing the protectionism in practice, increasing fast-yielding additional taxes and surveillance fees, as well as long-term measures such as anti-dumping, and introducing new measures when necessary are of great importance, especially for the glassware, glass fiber, flat glass and processed glass business areas. On the other hand, we demand that the protectionist measures applied against imports that create unfair competition also be applied to imports made within the scope of the Inward Processing Regime (IPR). Because the current IPR application puts our manufacturers, especially those operating in the fields of white goods glass and glass fiber, in a difficult situation”.

“Our capacity is sufficient for both our country and foreign markets”

Pointing out that the glass industry is increasing its production and processing capacity day by day with investments in innovative products, Kumru said, “In this period, we will ensure that the standards and regulations established to build almost zero-energy buildings are put into practice with energy-saving coated glass investments. In addition, we will quadruple our production capacity in this segment with the investments made for the production of energy glasses that provide maximum efficiency in solar panels. Turkiye is the most important player in the world in glassware with its strong brands and production and design power. Our capacity not only enables us to diversify our export markets and deepen in existing markets, but is also sufficient to meet 100 percent of our country's glass needs. Therefore, there is absolutely no capacity deficiency that would require us to import glass from China and other countries”.

Role model women of the industry

Following the opening speeches, Kumru made a presentation titled "Turkiye's Glass Sector Foreign Trade" and Istanbul Bilgi University, Department of Economics Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Erhan Aslanoglu made a presentation titled "World and Turkish Economy 2025 Forecasts and Their Effects on the Glass Industry”.

At the event, a panel titled "Pioneering Women Leading the Glass Industry" was held with women who have led the glass industry to become a production base with its environmentally friendly and innovative products and opened up to foreign markets, and who have become role models with their success, in line with the vision of growing together. The speakers of the panel moderated by Sişecam Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager Ebru Sapoglu were Astro Cam Board Member Pinar Acikgoz, Grupcam Company Partner and Company Manager Elif Sacak Koksoy, Limca Cam Sales and Marketing Coordinator Hatice Ekim Kaplan, Salt Cam Sales and Marketing Manager Vuslat Salt and Sen Ortaklar Chairman Selma Ozsabuncu.