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In a fresh push to strengthen its trade ties with the United Kingdom, Türkiye’s exporters organized a dedicated trade delegation to promote household and kitchenware products in London, a key market for the sector.
The initiative was led by the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Association (IKMIB), aiming to foster new commercial partnerships and broaden the international reach of Turkish firms.
A total of 16 companies from Türkiye’s home and kitchenware industry took part in the London trade mission on Friday, which included a full day of business-to-business meetings with British importers.
According to IKMIB, the primary objective of the program was to simplify Turkish exporters’ access to the UK market, raise the global profile of Türkiye’s innovative product designs, and help forge long-term business relationships.
Throughout the event, companies introduced their products to U.K. buyers in tailored meetings, offering opportunities to explore partnerships and understand market demand directly.
Turkish Trade Ministry Senior Foreign Trade Specialist Melda Akoglu Sisman and IKMIB Board Member Ali Kucuk also joined the delegation. The Turkish Commercial Counsellor in London, Zeynep Sezen, met with the group and gave a presentation on UK market dynamics and consumer trends.
Commenting on the mission, IKMIB Chairman Adil Pelister said that Türkiye’s household and kitchenware sector stands out with high value-added, design-driven, and innovative products.
He underlined the U.K.’s importance as a strategic market for these items, particularly plastic-based kitchenware.
Pelister noted that Türkiye’s exports of household and kitchenware products to the U.K. reached $92.5 million in 2024, with plastic goods accounting for nearly half of that total, at $45.8 million.
He added that Türkiye ranked as the third-largest supplier of such goods to the U.K., following China and France, as the country imported $1.67 billion worth of household and kitchen products overall during the year.
“Our goal with this mission is to increase our exports to the U.K. and grow our share in its global import market,” Pelister said, emphasizing the importance of such trade delegations in boosting international competitiveness.
In addition to business meetings, the delegation participated in retail tours of major UK supermarket chains, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons.
These visits enabled Turkish participants to observe product placements, consumer preferences, and current retail trends firsthand.
For the program, 37 British buyers took part in 328 bilateral meetings with Turkish firms.
These discussions served as a platform for product demonstrations and potential collaboration, particularly in the field of plastic kitchenware exports, where Türkiye seeks to strengthen its footprint.
The trade mission reflects Türkiye’s broader efforts to diversify export destinations and deepen trade relations with established markets such as the United Kingdom.
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