Proximity to markets and product quality are effective in Turkey's records in export.

Turkon Line CEO Alkın Kalkavan drew attention to Turkey's records in export and said, "We think that our proximity to important markets and our product and service quality are effective in our country breaking records in export almost every month in 2022." said.

Turkon Line CEO Alkın Kalkavan, talked to Anadolu Agency (AA) about the maritime transport industry that the disruption of the supply chain during the epidemic caused an imbalance between supply and demand, alongside with it, a serious increase in demand emerged.

Stating that Turkey comes to the forefront in terms of world supply chain and maritime transport, Kalkavan made the following assessment: "Turkey's proximity to markets such as Europe, Asia and Africa and its position as an important exporter for the United States also make our country stand out in terms of maritime trade. Its geopolitical position has made our country a good alternative market for the recently closed Chinese ports, especially for the USA and European countries."

Expressing that Turkey's proximity to important markets and product and service quality are effective in breaking records in export almost every month, Kalkavan said, "In this respect, we think that Turkey will be a preferred country in the coming periods and that it will maintain the momentum it has achieved in exports."

Emphasizing the congestion experienced in the ports, Kalkavan made the following statements:

"Within the scope of the Covid-19 measures, with the inability of ports to operate at full capacity, insufficient port infrastructures, insufficient inland transportation and the lockdowns in China, the vessels arriving at the ports began to line up to discharge their cargo. These lines got so long that the number of vessels waiting in the ports of Los Angeles / Long Beach rose to over 100.

Similarly, there have been and continue to be delays at various ports. Frankly, a capacity of almost 20-25 percent of the total container capacity is on the vessels waiting near the ports. Hence, the lines that did not want to disrupt their services had to procure new vessels and equipment by taking various risks. This mobility in the market puts pressure on maritime transport. Good management of this pressure, taking and applying the right decisions will shape the future of the industry."

Kalkavan stated that the first quarter of 2022 was a period where uncertainties came to the fore for the whole world, and said:

"We left behind a very difficult quarter with the deterioration in the supply chain, the continuation of port congestion to a certain extent, the lockdowns due to the 'Zero-covid' practices in China, the increasing inflation concerns all over the world, the addition of the Russia-Ukraine war and rising energy costs.

In the relevant period, we made a serious effort to support our customers and maintain our service quality. In this period of intense uncertainty and turmoil, taking risks and making the necessary investments and responding to customer needs was an important test for the industry.

The fact that the factors we mentioned are still valid causes uncertainty in the market for the coming periods. Of course, to support our exporters, we proceed on our way without compromising customer satisfaction by taking necessary actions in this difficult period, as we have been for 25 years."

"Prioritization of environmentally friendly fuel types will now be one of the most important agendas of the industry"

Expressing that the maritime transport sector has started to work on environmentally friendly solutions within the scope of the 2050 carbon-neutral target led by the European Union (EU), Kalkavan continued his words as follows:

"As of 2023, the carbon emissions of vessels will begin to be measured. In addition, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), which includes the technical features of the vessels within the scope of the Green Agreement, will begin to be implemented. Due to these applications, various measures such as the use of scrubbers for reducing the amount of emission for vessels and reducing vessel engine speeds will be taken. Prioritizing environmentally friendly fuel types according to the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) criteria in newly built vessels will now be one of the most important agendas of the industry.

Frankly, we, as Turkon Line, are proud of being a pioneer in our industry and breaking new ground by wearing scrubbers on our vessels in the past years thanks to our environmentally friendly policies. In the coming years, we will continue our mission of being the pioneer of this transformation by closely following environmentally friendly practices."

Anadolu Agency (AA)