An analysis of foreign trade competitiveness of the forest-based sector in Turkey

This study analyzes by major indices of competitiveness the foreign trade competitiveness of the Turkish forest-based sector which occupies a notable place in the country’s economy. The analysis uses the annual export and import data for the period between 1995 and 2009 provided by Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT/TÜİK). Here the forest-based sector is specified to consist of 5 subsectors at two-digit coding level in Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) Rev.3, namely of cork and wood (SITC code: 24), pulp and waste paper (SITC code: 25), cork and wood manufactures (SITC code: 63), paper and paperboard (SITC code: 64), and furniture (SITC code: 82), respectively. Results of competitiveness indexing show that the furniture sector appears, despite the increasing global competition, to be notably competitive in foreign trade. In addition, although it does not stand that competitive, the cork and wood manufactures sector, dominated by wood-based panels, does display a tendency to set more noticeable level of foreign trade competitiveness over the years. Meanwhile, it should be noted that the remaining sectors of cork and wood, pulp and waste paper, and paper and paperboard are evidently not competitive in foreign trade to any extent. In the final part of the paper some recommendations are propounded in favor of strengthening the foreign trade competitiveness of the forest-based sector in Turkey.