SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS TRIP TO ISTANBUL

Verticas Discovers New Trends and Challenges in Turkey

The vibrant metropolis of Istanbul – known for its cultural diversity and rich history – has also become a significant hub for trade and production in recent years. For the promotional products industry, Turkey is an exciting and strategic location. At the recent Promotion-Gifts fair in Istanbul, we at Verticas not only discovered innovative products but also established valuable contacts and gained deeper insights into the advantages and challenges of this market.

The Turkish Market – More Than Just Cotton

Although Turkey is often associated with cotton products in the promotional items industry, it offers much more than that. At the fair, we encountered products and solutions made from various materials and in diverse designs, which enrich our portfolio and provide our customers with even more options.

Another advantage of the Turkish market lies in the flexibility regarding production quantities and shorter delivery times. With smaller production volumes, we can respond more specifically to our customers' needs without having to endure long waiting times – a significant plus in our dynamic industry, which is constantly evolving.

CO₂ Footprint: A Surprising Insight

One topic that is particularly important to us at Verticas is sustainability. At the fair in Istanbul, we realized that interesting comparisons can also be made regarding CO₂ footprints. While transportation from Turkey typically occurs by truck and is generally shorter, analyses show that CO₂ emissions per unit can sometimes be comparable to the shipping of goods from China. The reason? The highest emissions occur during the material production process itself, which causes similar environmental impacts internationally, whether in Turkey or China. The transport on large container ships from China is often more efficient in terms of emissions per product than it might seem at first glance. For us, it remains a central task to monitor the CO₂ footprint of our entire supply chain and find ways to reduce it.

Trade and Customs Barriers – Flexibility is Key

An important takeaway from our visit to the fair in Istanbul is that export and import regulations for goods from Turkey are often complex and dynamic. While customs conditions for exports to the EU are generally relatively straightforward, the processes for imports from Turkey can sometimes be difficult, as the conditions frequently change. This can present a challenge, especially for our industry, which relies on flexibility and short response times.

However, thanks to our years of experience and a strong network, we at Verticas can handle such challenges and continue to offer our customers a wide portfolio of products from Turkey.

Conclusion: Exciting Perspectives and Innovative Solutions

Our visit to the promotional products fair in Istanbul showed us that Turkey is an inspiring market with a lot of potential – both in terms of product diversity and sustainability aspects. The challenges in customs and import processes reinforce our commitment to continuously finding flexible solutions that are valuable to both our customers and the environment. We look forward to integrating the newly discovered products and ideas into our portfolio and offering our customers new, creative options!

Visit us regularly on our website to learn more about new trends, exciting developments, and innovative products in the world of promotional items.