According to the January-April 2026 Export Performance Report published by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (İTHİB), textile and raw materials exports declined by 2% year-on-year during the period, totaling USD 3.7 billion. When the textile and apparel sectors are evaluated together, exports reached USD 8.2 billion, marking a 2% increase compared to the same period of the previous year. In April 2026, textile and raw materials exports increased by 16% year-on-year, while the combined textile and apparel sectors recorded a 20% increase. During this period, export growth to the Americas and the United States stood out.
The European Union, the largest export market for the Turkish textile industry, received textile exports worth USD 1.5 billion in the first four months of the year, representing a 1.5% decline compared to the same period last year. Following the EU, which accounted for a 41% share and ranked first, Africa and the Former Eastern Bloc countries were the largest groups for textile exports during the period.
Textile exports to African countries increased by 3% during the period, reaching USD 518.9 million. Textile exports to the Former Eastern Bloc countries, meanwhile, declined by 10%, falling to USD 414.2 million.
The most remarkable increase during the first four months of the year was recorded in the Americas, which ranked fourth among export destinations. During the January-April 2026 period, exports to the Americas surged by 232%, jumping from USD 104.6 million to USD 347.7 million. April exports to the region also increased by 303% compared to April of the previous year.
Looking at the country ranking, Italy, the United States, Germany, Spain and Egypt were the top five export destinations during the January-April period. Türkiye exported textiles worth USD 294 million to Italy, USD 274 million to the United States, USD 225 million to Germany, USD 208 million to Spain and USD 190 million to Egypt. Exports to the United States increased by 16.6%, while the other four countries showed a relatively stable performance with fluctuations ranging between 1% and 2%.
Based on April 2026 figures, only Belarus recorded a decline among the ten largest export destinations, with exports decreasing by 17%. All other countries posted growth. The most dramatic increase was seen in the United States at 40%, followed by Italy at 21% and Morocco at 20%.
The United States ranks first in Türkiye’s textile exports and second in home textile exports
Woven fabrics were Türkiye’s leading export product group during the January-April 2026 period, posting a 2% increase. They were followed by technical textiles, yarn, home textiles, knitted fabrics, fibres and garment industry auxiliary products, each recording declines of approximately 1%.
Technical textile exports totaled USD 773 million during the period, with the United States ranking first and accounting for a 10% share. Technical textile exports to the United States increased by approximately 22%, reaching USD 80 million. Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and France followed respectively.
In yarn exports, Türkiye exported yarn worth USD 742 million during the first four months of the year. The top five export destinations were Italy, Egypt, Portugal, the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively, while the strongest growth was again recorded in the United States. Exports to the U.S. increased by 51%, reaching USD 58 million during the period.
Türkiye also exported home textiles worth USD 529 million during the same period. Germany ranked first with a 15% share, followed by the United States with a 12.6% share. While exports declined by 6.5% in Germany and 5% in the United States, the strongest growth was recorded in Iraq at 24.7%, followed by Belarus at 24.4%.
Decline in employment and capacity utilization rates continues
According to the latest 12-month (April-April) change in capacity utilization rates, apparel manufacturing declined by 0.1%, manufacturing industry overall by 0.7%, and the textile industry by 1.5%.
Employment figures in the sector, which have remained below one million since August 2024, continues their downward trend. In February 2026, employment in the textile and apparel sectors was reported at 838 thousand, marking a a slight increase. Employment figures in the sector have remained below 900 thousand since July 2025.