AIMSAD Secretary General Arif Onur Kaçak announced that as the woodworking machinery sector, they continue to break new records in exports. Reminding that many industries came to a standstill in 2021, Kaçak said; “As the Turkish woodworking industry, we continued to produce and make new investments in this challenging period. We sincerely believe that we will achieve new successes as an industry in 2022.”
Expressing that the Turkish woodworking machinery industry continues to break new records in exports, AIMSAD Secretary General Arif Onur Kaçak; “As it is known, as the industry, we broke the export record of all time in 2020. The data for 2021 did not surprise us again. We left behind a year in which our industry added new achievements to its successes. As the woodworking machinery industry, we broke a new export record with 112 million 621 thousand dollars at the end of 11 months. In 2021, when many sectors stopped production and went through difficult times, we continued to produce and make new investments as an industry, and we got the reward for it.”
Pointing out that the reduction of the effect of the pandemic and the decisions taken by the government is of great importance in the success achieved in export figures, Kaçak; “The fairs, which started to be reorganized after the bans and restrictions were lifted, had a positive impact on our export figures. Last year was a year in which new target markets were determined for our industry. There is almost no geography left without Turkish woodworking machines. After Germany and Italy, Turkey is seen as a very important production center. As AIMSAD, we have determined export as our priority for 2022 and we have created our roadmap around this. Foreign fairs, where we can communicate one-to-one with our foreign target customers, make new dealership contracts, observe the machine needs of different geographies on site, and finalize the works live and instantly, are very important for export figures. In this direction, as AIMSAD, we will attach great importance to international fairs in 2022 as well”.
“TOGETHER WITH OUR MEMBERS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE TURKISH WOODWORKING MACHINES TO THE WORLD”
Indicating that they will participate in eight different fairs to be organized abroad in 2022, Kaçak made the following statements; “In 2022, we decided to participate in the fairs to be held in Germany, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Indonesia, Czechia, Romania, France and America together with our member companies. Among them, we find Ukraine All4Wood Fair very important. The fair, which we support as an association, will be held by TÜYAP on May 17-20, 2022. It will be a work in which all of the participants are local producers, or more precisely, more than 90 percent of the members of our association. Together with our member companies, we will have the opportunity to introduce Turkish woodworking machines not only to Ukraine, but also to purchasing delegations from Belarus, Romania, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. We believe that All4Wood will make a significant contribution to the export data of our industry.” Reminding that despite the pandemic, they held the WoodTech Fair in 2021 after 2020, AIMSAD Secretary General said; “In the fair, where more than 50 thousand visitors came, the companies exhibited many products and machines that competed with their European competitors. We had a very productive fair for both participants and visitors. In the fair, where the trade volume was 350 million TL, 90 percent of the participants stated that they were pleased to participate in the fair.
“SECOND HAND IMPORT OF MACHINERY MADE IN TURKEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED”
Talking about the problems of the machinery industry, Kaçak said; “One of our most important issues in 2021 was the exemptions granted within the scope of the investment incentive certificate for second-hand machinery. Although our domestic production machines are of the same quality as in Europe, their prices are competitive. Until the end of last June, the Ministry applied exemption to these machines within the scope of investment incentive certificate. With the demand from the machinery sector, these exemptions have been removed in many machines, including seven woodworking machine products. Even though our demand was not met 100%, we, as all industry stakeholders, were satisfied with the decision. Our hope is that none of the second-hand imports of the machines produced in Turkey are exempted, their imports are not allowed, or the conditions will be much more severe if they are granted. Because there is no logical point in selling machines older than 10 years old, discarded and scrapped by European companies, in Turkey for three times their value.”
“WE WILL CONTINUE OUR WORK AS THE INDUSTRY’S ROOF ORGANIZATION”
Providing the information about the www.turkishwoodworkingmachinery.com portal, which they, as AIMSAD, has implemented completely for abroad during the pandemic period, Kaçak; “The portal has been a very valuable work for our industry. In this portal, where each of our members has an online store, you can access all the contact information of the company, as well as view the details, photos and videos about the machines. This year, we will continue to work on the development of this portal. As AIMSAD, we are aware of our responsibility. As the umbrella organization of the Turkish woodworking machinery industry in 2022, as we continue to grow with our new members, we will continue to carry out projects and studies that will benefit both our members and all sector stakeholders.”