Türkiye’s Petrochemical Trade in 2025
The petrochemical industry is one of the main sectors of the Turkish economy in 2025. This sector has a pivotal role in the Turkish government’s economic strategies and policies, and aims to become the central hub in the region for the production and trade of petrochemical products. This blog post briefly investigates Türkiye’s current petrochemical import and export conditions.
Türkiye’s Petrochemical Market Overview in 2025
According to data, Türkiye is known as the second-largest global importer of petrochemicals after China. Also, it ranks in second position in polypropylene (PP) imports globally.
Regarding domestic production, Petkim in İzmir and Tupras in Kocaeli are Türkiye’s two main petrochemical complexes that can only produce about 2.9 million tonnes annually (approximately 25%) to answer domestic demand. On the other hand, Türkiye’s chemical export figure will be $30.57 billion by 2024, and its target for 2025 is to achieve $35 billion in chemical export revenues.
Türkiye’s Petrochemical Import Statistics (2024–2025)
The following table shows that Türkiye is still a big petrochemical importer globally, particularly polymers like PP and PE, which are widely used in multiple industries such as automotive, packaging, construction, and textiles.
| Product | Import Volume (2024 est.) |
Key Supplier Countries | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polypropylene (PP) | > 2 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Korea | Saudi Arabia accounts for over 80% of GCC exports to Türkiye. |
| Polyethylene (PE) | ~1.9 million tonnes | USA, Saudi Arabia, Iran, EU | U.S. exports benefit from shale-based low costs. |
| PVC | ~700,000 tonnes | EU, USA, Mexico | Widely used in construction and packaging. |
| Ethylene | ~250,000 tonnes | GCC, Iran, Kazakhstan | Imported due to low local production. |
| Styrene Monomer | ~200,000 tonnes | Netherlands, Germany, Belgium | Used for polystyrene and resins. |
| Benzene | ~180,000 tonnes | South Korea, Spain, France | Feedstock for plastics and resins. |
Türkiye’s Petrochemical Export Statistics (2024–2025)
Türkiye’s chemical and petrochemical exports in 2024 showed that they are in a good position in exporting goods, particularly plastics, leading at $9.1 billion, from total $30.57 billion. The government’s policies and the efforts of companies like SASA, and Petkim for 2025 is to hit $35 billion in exports by targeting new African and Asian markets.
| Product Group | Export Value (2024) | Main Export Destinations | Sector Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastics and Products | $9.1 billion | Germany, Iraq, UK, Italy, Israel | Largest contributor to total chemical exports. |
| Fertilizers | $2.4 billion | Brazil, Iraq, Romania | Driven by rising global agricultural demand. |
| Basic Chemicals | $2.0 billion | MENA, Balkans, Central Asia | Includes sulfuric acid, alkalis, etc. |
| Synthetic Fibers | $1.8 billion | EU, Russia, Egypt | Led by companies like SASA Polyester. |
| Petrochemical Derivatives | $1.3 billion | Bulgaria, Spain, Greece | Includes resins, solvents, intermediates. |