Turkey recorded a 25.72 per cent year-on-year rise in apparel exports in the first three quarters of 2021, according to the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute and the country's ministry of trade. In January-September 2021, Turkey exported apparel worth $13.364 billion, compared to exports of $10.630 billion during the corresponding period of 2020.

Category-wise, exports of knitted and crocheted clothing and accessories increased by 35 per cent to $7.792 billion during the first nine months of the current year compared to $5.770 billion earned during the same period of the previous year.

Exports of non-knitted apparel and accessories increased by 14.7 per cent to $5.572 billion compared to $4.859 billion exports made in January-September 2020.

Among non-apparels, exports of carpets, mats matting and tapestries shot up by 34 per cent to $2.385 billion, during the period under discussion.

Exports of old clothing and other textile articles and rags (HS chapter 63) also grew by 19.7 per cent to $2.109 billion during January-September 2021. Meanwhile, Turkey's imports of cotton, cotton yarn and cotton textiles (HS chapter 52) increased substantially by 34.2 per cent to $2.553 billion.