Türkiye may benefit from Trump’s policies: İTO head

President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming policies could create a "window of opportunity" for Turkish companies, says Şekib Avdagiç, president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO).

Türkiye could become more competitive in products that are produced by countries that will be subject to high tariffs to be imposed by the second Trump administration, Avdagiç argued.

"This could be true for industrial products and conventional products such as food and textiles. Türkiye can increase exports of those products to the U.S. ... Therefore, there appears to be a window of opportunity here," he said.

Avdagiç recalled that the European Union and other European countries are Türkiye's largest export markets, saying that demand has been declining in those economies and this poor outlook is likely to continue in 2025.

Trump's policies will be much more radical and sharper, according to Avdagiç.

"Depending on the new policies Trump will implement, I think we will be able to cover our possible losses in exports with our exports to the U.S.," he said.

In Türkiye, export-oriented labor-intensive industries, such as textile, ready-to-wear and leather, contracted this year, Avdagiç also said.

Export revenues of those sectors declined, and their exports are likely to continue to fall in 2025, he added.

Industries, such as automotive, chemicals and white goods, which are traditionally large exporting industries, are also facing problems due to FX rates, Avdagiç said.