According to the consolidated machinery manufacturing industry data shared by the Machınery Exporters’ Assocıatıon (MAİB), Türkiye’s total machinery exports, including free zones, amounted to 16.5 billion dollars in the first seven months of the year.
According to the consolidated machinery manufacturing industry data, total machinery exports, including free zones, reached 16.5 billion dollars in the first seven months of the year. Despite a decline in export volumes, a 9 percent increase in export unit prices pushed the value of exports up by 1.7 percent compared with the same period last year. Exports to Germany rose by 8.4 percent, approaching the 2 billion dollar mark, while exports to the United States increased by 28.9 percent to around 1.4 billion dollars. Machinery exports to Syria, meanwhile, approached 95 million dollars, representing a 51.4 percent increase compared with the same period last year.
Pointing out that Syria’s reconstruction and efforts to revive its civilian industrial infrastructure are bringing strong commercial potential back to life, Machinery Exporters’ Association President Sevda Kayhan Yılmaz commented on the emerging competitive environment in the region: “Before the civil war, Syria imported an average of 1.5 billion dollars worth of machinery annually. However, more than a decade of devastating conflict disrupted industrial investments and resulted in the loss of significant commercial potential. With the country entering a period of recovery in 2025, Syria’s total machinery imports doubled compared with the previous year, making a strong leap to 378 million dollars. This was clear evidence of the accelerating need for technological renewal and infrastructure development in the country. The Turkish machinery sector, which ranked fifth in this market in 2010, increased its exports by 174.6 percent year-on-year in 2025 to reach 148 million dollars, overtaking China and rising to first place. However, as demand grows in key industrial segments, particularly metalworking, plastics, food-processing and textile machinery, competition among Chinese and European manufacturers for a greater share of the market is also intensifying. Having maintained its presence in the market even under the difficult conditions of the civil war and ultimately secured market leadership, the Turkish machinery sector now needs certain new arrangements that reflect the evolving competitive environment.”
“It is time for Syria to be removed from the list of high-risk countries”
Yılmaz noted that the revitalization of trade corridors through the efforts of the Turkish and Syrian governments, together with the medium-term target of 10 billion dollars in bilateral trade, provides highly favorable conditions to support this momentum. She said: “To preserve the strong position we have secured in the Syrian market amid the crisis, we must remain resilient against the aggressive, state-backed financing initiatives of our competitors. This requires the introduction of financing instruments that will support our operational strength on the ground. However, Syria’s classification in Category 7, the highest-risk category in Türk Eximbank’s country risk classification, creates a significant financial and bureaucratic obstacle for our exporters in the form of high premium rates. The fact that the Buyer’s Credit mechanism is also unavailable gives our European competitors a considerable financing advantage. At a time when the devastating effects of the war are beginning to recede and reconstruction budgets are being activated, the continuation of such restrictive practices poses risks that limit businesses’ room for maneuver. We believe it is now time for Syria to be removed from Türk Eximbank’s list of high-risk countries. We believe greater flexibility should be introduced into export credit insurance procedures and that Syria-specific Türk Eximbank support mechanisms should be developed without delay. Measures that reduce exporters’ risk-premium burden and strengthen their competitiveness will both secure the Turkish machinery sector’s leading position in the region and enable us to contribute much more effectively to Syria’s reconstruction process.”
“We will explain directly to Syrian companies how commercial partnership with Türkiye can create a win-win model”
Stating that consultations had been held with member companies to identify the problems exporters face in trade with Syria, Yılmaz concluded: “The tenfold increase in duties charged per tonne at Syrian customs and the fact that Turkish products are subject to the same customs tariffs as products from East Asia have had a particularly severe impact on some of our subsectors. Machinery that is inherently large and heavy has begun to face a double cost burden because customs duties are imposed on both a weight and value basis. Another operational challenge concerns the limited range of payment channels. Since direct banking channels are not functioning, transfers to Türkiye made through foreign exchange offices prevent exporters from benefiting from foreign exchange conversion incentives. We are aware that these are not unsolvable issues and that our ministries are working gradually to address them. What matters at this stage is maintaining our presence on the ground and ensuring that Syrian buyers are not drawn away by the efforts of competing brands. With this objective in mind, we are preparing meticulously for the 63rd Damascus International Fair, which will be held at the end of August with Türkiye participating through a national pavilion organization. During our meetings in Damascus, we will explain directly to Syrian companies how commercial partnership with Türkiye can create a win-win model.”
