Dear members;

Hatay is one of the leading cities of peace and brotherhood in our country, where different cultures and beliefs coexist, and has hosted many ancient civilizations. Hatay, whose history dates back to before Christ, has a geographical location, being one of the oldest settlements, a mild climate, gastronomy and rich cultural assets; It constitutes the tourism potential of our city. Our region has become one of the important industrial and commercial centers of our country with its accumulation and cultural heritage left to future generations.

When looking at the statistics, it is seen that Hatay Iskenderun is of great importance for our country. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute Special Trade System data, Hatay's export amount was 3.16 billion dollars in the 11-month period of 2024, while the import amount was 5.5 billion dollars in the same period.

The most exported products from Hatay are iron and steel, articles made of iron and steel, fruits and vegetables; while the most imported products are iron and steel, mineral fuels and oils, fertilizer, metal ore, boilers, machinery, mechanical devices and tools, nuclear reactors, and their parts and components.

The countries with the most exports from Hatay are Russia, Romania, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Lebanon, while the countries with the most imports are Russia, the USA, Oman, Canada, China, Australia and Brazil.

The port and industrial city of İskenderun has a major share in Hatay's success in foreign trade. The iron and steel sector, which is the locomotive of industry, is quite developed in our country and region. The steel production capacity of the İskenderun Gulf Region constitutes approximately 1/3 of our country's total capacity. Hatay İskenderun ranks 1st in Türkiye in crude steel and flat steel production. With these features, our region is one of the important production and export centers of the iron and steel industry in our country. In parallel with the production development of the automotive industry in Türkiye, the first filter manufacturing factory was established in İskenderun Hatay approximately 60 years ago. With this feature, Hatay İskenderun has become the production center of the filter sector in Türkiye. Approximately 60-65% of the internal combustion engine filters produced in Türkiye are produced in our region and exported to many countries. Hatay, a gulf city and a border region, has strategic importance with its geographical location connecting trade centers to each other. Our region serves as a gateway connecting Europe to the Middle East and North Africa; It is the center of sea, highway and railway connection points. In addition, our province has significant potential in the agriculture, tourism and aquaculture sectors. With its gulf, natural beauties and fertile lands, Hatay is a trade city with a wide range of sectors.

We believe that after the negative effects of the earthquake disaster we experienced are overcome and the problems experienced in the economy throughout the country are resolved in time; our region's manufacturing and foreign trade capacity will increase, and will contribute positively to our country's sustainable production and international competitive power. As Iskenderun Chamber of Commerce and Industry, our biggest goal is to analyze the economic dynamics of our country and region and contribute to the economy of our city. We will continue to support our region in line with our establishment law and the strategic plan of our chamber.

Levent Hakkı Yılmaz

İskenderun Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Chairman of the Board