March 9, 2013

TUSKON sees $30 mln in Morocco textile contracts

The recent visit by a Turkish business delegation to Morocco has seen companies secure textile deals worth $30 million, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) has announced.

TUSKON brought 44 members from the textile sector to meet 310 of their Moroccan counterparts at the Turkey-Morocco Textile Business Forum over the weekend. The forum was held by the jointly run Turkish-Moroccan Businessmen Association (TÜFİAD). In around 2,000 separate business meetings at the conference, companies inked investment and trade deals worth $30 million. Evaluating Turkey-Morocco trade relations, İstanbul Young Businessmen Union (İGED) Vice President Murat Gültekin said Morocco could open the door for Turkey to African markets.

Gültekin said they were encouraged by the interest shown by Moroccan entrepreneurs in Turkish textiles and ready-to-wear products. While mutual trade between Turkey and Morocco currently stands at $1.3 billion, TÜFİAD Secretary-General Gökmen Ertaş said both sides expect this figure to grow to $3 billion. He said Turkish textiles compete with the relatively cheaper Chinese-made products in Morocco, but that the group is working to boost the popularity of quality Turkish goods in the market.

Published on Today's Zaman, 06 March 2013, Wednesday