Does entering the Middle East market require a distinct strategy?

Yes, we recommend a region-specific marketing approach given differences in regulation, payment methods and cultural factors.

Is a customs broker mandatory?

Not mandatory, but significantly useful for speeding up the process, particularly for complex product groups.

Can a foreign investor establish a company in this space?

Yes, through a company incorporated in Turkey. We manage the process from incorporation through exporters' association membership.

How is a supplier network built?

Through direct discussions with regional producers and OIZs; we help you build these connections.

Export Trading Company Investment

Hatay's position, connecting by land to Syria and the Middle East via the Cilvegözü border crossing and by sea to the world via İskenderun Port, offers a strategic base for an export trading company moving regional production into international markets.

Hatay offers land connectivity to Syria and the Middle East via the Cilvegözü border crossing, while also providing sea access to global markets via İskenderun Port. This dual advantage creates a strategic positioning opportunity for an export trading company that moves the region's agricultural, food and industrial production into international markets.

What Project Types Can Be Considered?

Agricultural and food products export trading company
Industrial products (textile, metal, furniture) export brokerage
Middle East-focused marketing and distribution company
Multi-product general trading company

Which Areas Should Be Considered?

Antakya and Reyhanlı are primary areas given proximity to both the producer network and the Cilvegözü border crossing. İskenderun offers a separate location with direct access to port logistics.

Licensing and Permit Process

Trade registry registration and exporters' association membership
Product-specific certifications as required for exported goods
Cooperation with, or an in-house team of, customs brokers
Workplace opening and operating permit

Incentive and Support Elements

The Ministry of Trade's export supports (market research, promotion, Turquality) and Region 6 incentives can be evaluated together; proximity to Cilvegözü and İskenderun Port is a structural advantage that lowers logistics costs.

Explore our Investment Incentive Consulting service

Points to Keep in Mind

A trading company's success rests on a strong supplier network and reliable buyer connections in target markets; establishing a solid foundation in supply and market research before incorporation is important.

Sources

T.C. Ministry of Trade

From the official data

Port Cargo and Exports: Official Volumes

According to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Turkish ports handled 553,268,303 tonnes in 2025; the İskenderun Regional Port Authority handled 70,905,737 tonnes, third after Aliağa (89,507,150 tonnes) and Kocaeli (83,939,975 tonnes). In the Ministry of Trade's exports-by-province-of-activity table, Hatay ranked 11th in 2023 with USD 5,170 million.

Indicator	Value	Year	Source
İskenderun Regional Port Authority: cargo handled (tonnes)	70,905,737	2025	[1]
Türkiye total port cargo (tonnes)	553,268,303	2025	[1]
İskenderun's share of the national total	12.8%	2025	[1]
Hatay exports by province of activity (USD million)	5,856	2022	[2]
Hatay exports (USD million; annual change −11.7%)	5,170	2023	[2]
Share of Türkiye's exports (Türkiye: USD 255,809 million)	2.0%	2023	[2]
Hatay exports, single month (USD million; +11.9%)	505 → 565	Sep 2024 → Sep 2025	[3]

What does this data mean for an investor?

The İskenderun Regional Port Authority handles 12.8% of the cargo moved through Turkish ports and trails only Aliağa and Kocaeli. This volume shows that Hatay remained one of the country's main cargo gateways even after the earthquake. Hatay's exports fell 11.7% in 2023 to USD 5,170 million; in September 2025 monthly exports rose +11.9% on the same month of the previous year. A single month does not prove an annual recovery; the annual 2024–2025 figures are not in this compilation.

What it means for an investor: port and export volumes are the most concrete official gauges of the scale of demand for warehousing, bonded areas, logistics centres and export-oriented production. But how much of the port tonnage is cargo produced in or destined for Hatay, as opposed to transit, cannot be separated from these data; cargo type and country breakdowns should be queried separately before investing.

Limitation: The port figure is the sum of all ports under the İskenderun Regional Port Authority and has no cargo-type or country breakdown. The export table is based on place of production (province of activity), which differs from head-office-based tables. Annual provincial exports for 2024 and 2025 (the Ministry's relevant file could not be accessed) and the sector breakdown of exports are not in this compilation; September 2025 is a single-month figure.

Pages related to this data

Sources

Figures come from official sources; interpretations are Invest Hatay's own and are not investment advice.

Frequently asked questions about export trading company investment

Agricultural and food products offer the broadest potential given the region's strong production base; we conduct this analysis together with regional data.