While the Covid-19 outbreak had devastating effects on all global trade, construction materials industry closed the year with only 1.5 percent loss in export and with minimal damage. The construction materials industry achieved $ 21.16 billion of export in 2020 and despite a 1.5 percent decline in value, realized the highest export of all time in quantity with an increase of 16.2 percent.
According to Turkey IMSAD Building Materials Industry Foreign Trade Index results of December, the industry again showed a high performance in the last month of year. In 2020 the effects of Covid-19 pandemic have shaped export markets and Turkey’s exports of construction materials. A high export performance was realized in the first quarter of the year. In the second quarter, exports contracted sharply with the effects of the pandemic. Export performance of construction materials industry, which started to recover in the third quarter, showed a significant increase in the last quarter. In 2020, exports of construction materials decreased by 1.5 percent in value in parallel with all these developments down to 21.16 billion dollars.
The highest export of all time was made in 2020
In 2020, construction materials export increased by 16.2 percent in quantity. Export, which was 51.6 million tons in 2019, increased to 59.96 million tons in 2020. Especially the increase in cement export was effective in this increase. In 2020, construction materials industry achieved all-time high export in quantity.
Average export unit prices decreased
The average annual export unit price of construction materials industry was 0.41 dollars / kg in 2019 This has decreased down to 0.35 dollars / kg in 2020. The pandemic and market conditions put downward pressure on export unit prices.
Recovery in the construction sector led to an increase in imports
Import of construction materials has increased by 3,5% to 7.03 billion USD Dollars in 2020. In 2020, imports of construction materials increased by 5.2 percent in quantity. Import figures closed the year with an increase, in conjunction with the activities of construction sector, which revived in the second half of the year, thanks to incentives provided.
Average annual import unit price of construction materials industry decreased down to 2.65 dollars / kg in 2020, which was 2.69 dollars / kg in 2019. Impact of the pandemic on import unit prices was limited.
Construction materials industry exports showed the highest performance of year in December
Construction Materials Foreign Trade Index once again showed a high performance in December. Exports experienced the strongest month of the year. With the increase in December the export has reached 2,16 billion USD Dollars in the last quarter. Despite seasonality, the highest monthly export of the year was made in December. In foreign markets, foreign demand increased significantly due to new wave concern in the Covid-19 outbreak.
Construction materials export reached 5.37 million tons in December 2020. Compared to the same month of last year, exports increased by 27.7 percent in December in quantity. While average export unit price of construction materials was 0.44 dollars / kg in December 2019, it decreased down to 0.40 dollars / kg in December 2020. Export unit price in November was the highest monthly unit price of the year. December was also close to this level.
The highest import value of 2020 was also in December
Construction materials import in December, which were worth $ 740 million, were the highest monthly imports of 2020 in value. Construction materials industry import decreased by 2 percent in December compared to the same month of last year and amounted to 264.4 thousand tons. Despite this, December imports were the second highest monthly imports of the year in terms of quantity. The average import unit price of construction materials rose to $ 2.84 / kg in December. After the decline in October and limited increase in November, average prices increased significantly in December. In December 2019, the import unit price was 2.34 dollars / kg.