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U.S.' 55% tariff on Indian carpets, compared with 15% on Turkish exports, has created new prospects for Türkiye’s producers, with industry leaders in Gaziantep saying demand from U.S. buyers has already increased.
Koza Carpet, a leading producer that ships over half its output to the U.S., expects orders to rise in the coming year, with Chief Executive Ibrahim Cingisiz saying that the company is already developing new designs to replace products previously sourced from India and has made plans for the summer 2026 season.
Cingisiz explained to Türkiye daily that Koza Carpet has supplied major U.S. retailers such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Sam’s Club since 2004, and that the U.S. has been its largest market for the past decade. “More than 50% of our exports go to America,” he said. The company also sells to about 30 countries, including Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, China, and Malaysia.
About 60% of Koza’s production is exported, generating between $25 million and $28 million in annual foreign currency income for Türkiye. Cingisiz said, "We are planning to grow in Northern Europe, South America, the Middle East, and North Africa."
Alongside its export strategy, Koza Carpet is also seeking to strengthen its brand at home. The company currently operates 13 stores in Türkiye under its Koza and Calvin Klein lines. "For us, the real goal is to carry our Koza Carpet brand forward. We want to open showrooms and sell under our own name," Cingisiz noted.
The firm is also expanding its partnership with Calvin Klein, for which it produces carpets in Gaziantep. Cingisiz said, "Calvin Klein gave us responsibility for operations in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, Germany, and Romania. We designed 16 to 17 special collections for the brand, and they are also being used in the U.S."
He announced a $10 million investment in Calvin Klein-branded collections and said the company will increase its workforce from 730 to 1,000 employees.
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Gaziantep, in southeastern Türkiye, has become one of the world’s leading centers for carpet manufacturing. According to Cingisiz, the city’s producers account for 65% of global demand for machine-made carpets, with more than 200 firms and about 1,500 looms in operation. "There are fewer than 1,500 looms in all of Belgium today, while Gaziantep alone exceeds that number," he said.
Cingisiz emphasized that Türkiye’s carpet sector is not facing the same competitive pressures seen in textiles, where production has shifted to countries such as Egypt. "Egypt and the Turkic republics cannot compete with us. Even if they use the same machines and raw materials, we have the know-how and a well-established export structure. And we are very close to Europe," he said.
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