The Jewelry Exporters’ Association stands out as one of the sectors that both increased and evaluated its exports during the first 4 months of the year. According to TİM data, jewelry exports reached 2.156 billion USD, experiencing a 19% increase from 1.812 billion USD in the January-April period of 2022. As of May 15, 2023, the export revenue obtained from 3,327,292 kg of exports amounted to 2.342 billion USD, compared to 1.902 billion USD generated from 3,514,910 kg of exports during the same period in 2022. The comparison between the two periods reveals a 30.06% increase in the value of jewelry exports per kilogram, rising from 541.31 USD to 704.06 USD. Burak Yakın, the President of the Jewelry Exporters’ Association, emphasized the variables affecting jewelry exports, such as the value of gold and silver, added value in exported products, branding, and global demand, which contribute to changes in export values.
Yakın, emphasizing the Jewelry Exporters’ Association’s significant focus on buyer delegations, stated that they have been diligently monitoring all positive and negative changes in the global economy since taking office and swiftly taking action according to developments. He further expressed the following sentiments:
Yakın explained that they have a program to increase the number of exporters, and now around 35% more companies are engaged in export activities. He highlighted their efforts in organizing buyer delegations and the significant participation in both the Istanbul fair and the buyer delegation events in Antalya. He mentioned their largest national participation in the Hong Kong fair after a long break. With upcoming events in Las Vegas and Hong Kong, he acknowledged that the fair traffic will slow down until the fall, but emphasized the importance of not slowing down. Yakın stated that the sector will continue to work dynamically during this process and focus on activities related to distant markets. He mentioned that fairs will resume in September. Yakın emphasized the need for the jewelry sector to increase its added value in order to be more effective in global competition. Regarding the increase in export value per kilogram, he commented, “Overall, we are maintaining our upward trend in exports. We are among the sectors with the highest growth in the first four months. We achieved an increase of over 19% in the period. Additionally, the export value per kilogram increased by 31%. This is influenced by various factors. Gold prices directly affect this change. The quality of the exported product is also important. We do not only export diamonds, gold, and rubies; as the proportion of high-value-added products within our product range increases, our export value per unit kilogram rises, and decreases as it decreases. The way to sell less and earn more lies in added value.” Yakın highlighted that each company improves itself by evaluating its exports on a product basis and stated that the Jewelry Exporters’ Association continues to support them in every aspect. He mentioned their goal to exceed $7 billion in exports according to TİM data by the end of the year, and they aim for a figure above $12 billion based on micro-export, other export, and TÜİK data.
