HISTORY

Established by the leading Foreign Trade Capital Companies (FTCC) in 1983 the Foreign Trade Association of Turkey (TURKTRADE) is a non-governmental organization based on voluntary participation.

Over the past decades, TURKTRADE has developed realistic strategies on various topics within the scope of global trade, specifically export issues and has developed implementable propositions helping to resolve many of these issues.

Membership eligibility restrictions have been eased over time by adding international trade companies which contribute significantly to the import and export of Turkey.

In 2006, the statute of TURKTRADE has been changed and the association has become more inclusive. In addition to leading banks, customs agencies, freight and logistics companies are now also accepted as members.

What makes our association distinct and influential lies in its holistic outlook on global trade instead of the clearly defined and specific perspectives of individual industries.

Our focus areas are customs and logistics, access to financial resources, incentives and risk management, competitiveness, WTO, EU, Customs Union, free trade agreements, Brexit and many other issues pertaining to foreign trade.

TURKTRADE is a member of many important common working platforms, such as The National Committee on Trade Facilitation, The Coordination Council for the Improvement of Investment Environment, Turkey-Eu Relations and Customs Union Joint Committee etc.

TURKTRADE is fully aware of the growing importance of non-governmental organizations in the transnational environment of today's world economy. Micro-targets of private sector organizations can only be brought to the table with macro policies adopted through negotiation and consensus within such organizations.

TURKTRADE, with its totally voluntary based membership participation feature aims to face the challenges onset by globalization in the agricultural and industrial sectors and to contribute to the realization of the necessary structural reforms. In this way, it continues to fulfill its duties as an NGO to form the basis for strengthening competitiveness of Turkish industry.