Glassware industry seeks solutions for export competitiveness

Burak Önder, President of the Glassware Association (ZÜCDER), has proposed a five-point plan to protect the competitiveness of Turkey's glassware sector and increase its production and export capacity. The sector, which exports approximately $4.5 billion in industrial products to over 100 countries, currently faces challenges regarding high costs and access to financing.

Önder noted that while the industry is a rare source of trade surplus for Turkey, the prolonged economic conditions of the last three years have weakened industrial resilience. He highlighted that exporters are sometimes operating at break-even or even at a loss to maintain their existing international customer base. Additionally, he pointed to slowing domestic consumption and the impact of high interest rates on investment appetite.