Economy
Asian vendors grapple with soaring costs of plastics amid Mideast war
Across Asia, food vendors are contending with higher costs for plastic bags, cups and containers as the energy crisis triggered by the Middle East war drives prices up.
While the U.S. and Iran have reached a memorandum to halt the conflict, the possibility of new attacks remains. It will also take time for markets to recover and supply flows to return to normal, with persistent concerns over traffic through the economically vital Strait of Hormuz.
At Taipei’s Songjiang market, chicken vendor Li Yu-ping, 52, said in early June that the price of plastic bags had jumped nearly 60%, while the cost of plastic trays had risen by a third.
“We use them everywhere,” she said of the bags. “Our food containers are also plastic, all disposable.”
Wary of hiking prices, “all of this has become a cost for the vendors,” she said.
A key raw material for many of these plastic goods is ethylene, which is derived from naphtha, an oil by-product. Around 60% of the naphtha imported to Asia comes from the Gulf.
Faced with tight supply and soaring prices due to the monthslong closure of the Strait of Hormuz, petrochemical companies mainly in South Korea and Japan have scaled back production capacity, sending the cost of basic goods such as plastic bags surging.
In Bangkok, Nikorn Sai-inthara, a 60-year-old selling vegetables from a street cart, estimated his operating costs had risen by 30%.
“I rely on plastic bags for my work because I sell vegetables on the go to busy people and office workers,” said Nikorn, who wraps individual portions in plastic and secures them with a rubber band.
“Ever since the fighting started in the Middle East, my profits have fallen, but I don’t dare raise prices for my customers,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
‘No choice’
Several vendors across the region told AFP they do not have a practical alternative to the plastic products they use on a daily basis.
“We have no choice. If you don’t give customers plastic bags, they complain,” said Chang Chiu-hsiang, a 78-year-old grocer in Taipei.
“I think you can’t really avoid using them,” added Li, the chicken vendor, noting, however, that some customers have started to use reusable bags.
Somsak Jaidee, 62, who sells rice porridge in bags secured with rubber bands at a Bangkok market, said that while “everything is more expensive … I have to endure it.”
“I can’t think of anything else that offers the same convenience for my customers as plastic bags.”
A cautious reopening of the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S.-Iran deal was signed last week has yet to fully impact naphtha prices, which have dipped only slightly.
And manufacturers continue to process naphtha purchased when prices were higher.
In early June, Taiwanese manufacturer Formosa Petrochemical reported cutting the utilization rate of its ethylene steam cracker to 35%, down from 53% in March at the very start of the war.
“At this point, the situation is not entirely due to the lack of feedstock. The bigger issue now is that the feedstock has become extremely expensive, and some of our customers simply can’t bear the higher prices,” Formosa’s president, Lin Keh-yen, told AFP.
Diversification
In South Korea, supply tensions remained acute in early June.
“Normally, if we order 10,000 plastic bags, they arrive within about a week. Now suppliers are telling us that we may have to wait more than a month” with prices 30% higher, said a shop employee in Seoul.
A nearby dry cleaner said the price of plastic garment covers had more than doubled, while a cafe owner noted a 50% increase in the cost of plastic cups.
South Korea’s plastics industry association said the Middle East war had forced manufacturers to hike prices, although “alternative” supply routes have helped stabilize the situation.
Fajar Budiyono, secretary-general of the Association of Olefin, Aromatic, Plastic and Chemical Industries in Indonesia, said a shift to suppliers in places like China and Africa has helped keep prices at bay.
In the Philippines, meanwhile, manufacturers said they had absorbed some of the additional costs.
“Our profits got squeezed. We could not simply raise prices as we would be swamped by imports,” said Steve Tavera, a member of the Philippine Plastics Industry Association.
As a result, price hikes have so far been “conservative,” he said.
Turkish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for most of businesses in the country, playing a decisive role in many areas of the economy, ranging from employment to production, whether in small towns or major cities, financial officials said.
The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution in April 2017 to celebrate Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day, first observed on June 27, 2017, to underline the contributions of SMEs to the global economy and sustainable development.
This year, the special day is marked under the theme of “Empowering MSMEs through Innovation and Sustainable Industrial Development.”
The U.N. says SMEs make up for 90% of businesses worldwide and account for around 70% of employment, while contributing 50% of global gross domestic product (GDP).
Humberto Lopez, Türkiye country director at the World Bank, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on the occasion of the U.N.’s MSMEs Day that small businesses make up the backbone of the Turkish economy, accounting for 70% of total employment.
Lopez stated that implementing policies to empower SMEs is not only an economic but also a social priority, as it requires simultaneous action across many areas, where the World Bank can play an active role by combining public and private sector tools.
He noted that the bank works in public policy, institutions, guarantee mechanisms, and crisis response, while the International Finance Corporation (IFC) supports private sector investments, financial institutions, and capital markets. He said the combined approach is key to supporting a large and dynamic economy like Türkiye’s.
Lopez stated that SMEs across the globe face challenges accessing finance, including those in Türkiye, while making up a significant portion of businesses worldwide.
Initiatives in Türkiye
He said the SME financing gap in developing economies reaches trillions of dollars, and Türkiye faces a similar challenge, citing World Bank data. He advised that implementing public policies, guarantee mechanisms, a robust data infrastructure, financial inclusion, and rapid support mechanisms is significant in helping SMEs through crises.
He also noted that bank-backed initiatives in 2020-2023 injected financing into over 87,000 MSMEs in Türkiye, helping create or preserve around 115,000 jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the February 2023 earthquakes in the nation’s southeast. He mentioned that 77% of new hires were workers under the age of 30 and 61% were women.
Lopez stated that some 40,000 MSMEs, especially those in disaster-stricken zones, received $450 million in post-earthquake project financing from the World Bank, as businesses in the affected region faced not only physical damage but also disruptions to market connections, access to labor, supply chains, and cash flows.
He urged SMEs to embrace digitalization, create formal and skilled jobs, and strengthen their resilience against disasters and economic shocks, as financing alone is not enough to ensure success.
At the same time, he advised small businesses operating in low-tech production, which make up a large share of SMEs in the manufacturing sector, to realize their potential for gains in productivity, digitalization, and higher value-added production.
He added that making Türkiye’s already strong SME base more efficient, resilient, and inclusive through policies boosting these areas and offering more targeted solutions for groups and regions in need of support, such as women, young people, and businesses in disaster-affected areas, will be key to sustainable growth.
Productivity, digitalization
Lisa Kaestner, division director for Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan at the IFC, stated that SMEs form the base of the economy and play a key role in supply chains, local markets, exports, and digital transformation, while their growth provides benefits to suppliers, workers, customers, and local communities.
Kaestner said the right financial tools for SMEs are tied to employment and productivity, noting that the IFC’s approach in Türkiye aims to support access to financing to enable SMEs to invest, grow, and create more jobs, which she said is possible through ensuring long-term financing via banks and connecting them with markets through larger firms and value chains.
She mentioned that investing in new equipment, transitioning to digital sales, and promoting investments in energy efficiency or preparing for exports also boost efficiency, helping small businesses grow into larger and stronger ones with more resilient jobs.
Kaestner emphasized that SMEs account for over two-thirds of employment in Türkiye but received less than 27% of total bank loans as of late 2025, highlighting a mismatch between SMEs’ share of the economy and their access to financing, as Turkish small businesses continue to struggle to secure favorable maturity terms, viable collateral structures, and diverse financial products tailored to their operational needs.
She stated that the IFC is working with private banks, leasing firms, and private equity funds to develop longer-term financial products tailored to smaller businesses.
Kaestner said the IFC can mobilize private-sector financing, as reaching Turkish SMEs is most effective through financial institutions, thanks to their customer networks and capacity to develop solutions, while private equity funds can help with growth, job creation, and productivity in ways debt financing cannot.
She mentioned that the IFC provided a $350 million package for the recovery financing of small businesses in the disaster-stricken zone of the nation’s southeast through five private banks, benefiting 55,000 MSMEs, including farmers, to support businesses in reinvesting, protecting their workforce, and contributing to the local economy.
Kaestner noted that while funding can be used for a wide range of purposes, financing is needed not only for daily working capital but also for efforts such as energy efficiency, digital transformation, building export capacity, and integration into supply chains to access new markets.
She added that the IFC can support the flow of longer-term financing through private banks, leasing companies and venture capital funds, which are not easily available in the market.
Furthermore, she stated that the next priorities in SME financing in Türkiye are mobilizing more private capital and diversifying financing channels by expanding long-term financing through banks, strengthening the role of non-bank institutions such as leasing and factoring companies, providing trade and supply chain financing, and making better use of capital market instruments.
She added that women’s employment is one of the top items on the IFC’s agenda, saying that women’s participation in the workforce is 37% and that closing the gap could potentially drive a 25% increase in GDP, resulting in more investment, production and employment.
The World Bank authorized some $1.1 billion in emergency funding for Bangladesh to help secure food supplies, support vulnerable households and businesses due to the rising prices of fertilizers, fuel and food from the Middle East conflict.
Bangladesh is also seeking additional external financing from development partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to shore up foreign exchange reserves and ease pressure on public finances following a surge in energy import costs and broader economic challenges.
The World Bank package comprises two projects aimed at helping the country manage external shocks and maintain economic stability.
Of the total, $300 million will be provided under the Emergency Support for Food Security Project to finance imports of 600,000 metric tons of fertilizer for the upcoming rice seasons. Bangladesh imports more than 85% of its fertilizer requirements, making it vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains.
“Rising food, fertilizer and fuel prices stemming from the Middle East conflict, coupled with tighter fiscal space, have deeply affected Bangladesh’s economy, particularly smallholder farmers and poor and vulnerable households,” Jean Pesme, the World Bank’s division director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said in a statement.
The project will support rice cultivation across 1.4 million hectares (3.46 million acres) of farmland.
The remaining $713 million, approved under the Contingent Emergency Response Project, will finance emergency expenditures, including cash transfers and livelihood support for affected households and small businesses.
It will also help fund fuel and energy imports needed to sustain essential services, including health care, food distribution, electricity and water supplies.
The World Bank said the financing would help Bangladesh respond rapidly to economic shocks while protecting jobs, livelihoods and critical services.
Although Türkiye and Colombia are separated by thousands of miles, they share a common ambition: to deepen bilateral ties through stronger economic cooperation. From production and trade to critical minerals and energy, both countries are committed to expanding their existing partnership and unlocking new opportunities for growth, investment and long-term collaboration.
To explore the progress made so far and the untapped potential of the Türkiye-Colombia economic partnership, Daily Sabah interviewed Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the Colombian government agency responsible for promoting exports, attracting foreign investment and showcasing Colombia as a leading tourism destination.
“Within bilateral trade between the two countries, coffee has emerged as one of the key pillars,” Caballero said, adding that coffee exports to Türkiye grew by 105% between 2024 and 2025.
She noted that coffee, as Colombia’s flagship product, accounts for over 60% of its shipments to Türkiye outside the mining and energy sectors.
Despite the enthusiasm, coffee is not the only product Colombia sells to Türkiye.
Among the emerging non-mining and non-energy export categories, Caballero remarked that there has been sustained growth in fresh and processed fruit exports, as well as in manufacturing, fashion, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and agro-industrial products. She added these exports increased from $28.5 million in 2024 to $52.8 million in 2025, representing an 85.3% rise.
Pointing to a 23.4% compound annual growth rate in these exports to Türkiye between 2022 and 2025, Caballero said the figures “reflect a deepening and increasingly diversified bilateral relationship.”
However, these products account for a smaller share of trade compared with mineral fuels and oils.
According to 2024 data from the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), energy-related products accounted for 96% of Türkiye’s imports from Colombia.
The report also shows that Türkiye’s main exports to Colombia include iron and steel, machinery and electrical equipment.
The broader growth in bilateral trade was reflected in total trade volume, which reached $1.28 billion in 2024, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry identifies Colombia as Türkiye’s third-largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Highlighting ProColombia’s role in this success, Caballero said the agency has been working to expand bilateral trade ties by strengthening cooperation with the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), chambers of commerce, industry associations, and business networks in Türkiye.
She added that ProColombia has been fostering commercial opportunities through Turkish participation in the Colombia International Business Matchmaking Forum, Colombia Travel Mart, and specialized events such as Globemeets. The agency has also been organizing familiarization trips in partnership with Turkish Airlines, particularly since the airline launched its Bogota route in May 2016.
Turkish companies have shown strong engagement through participation in business delegations and matchmaking initiatives in Colombia, she said, adding that, “Turkish investment in Colombia still has substantial growth potential, building on existing partnerships.”
With COP31 set to take place in Türkiye in November, bringing greater visibility to climate action and sustainability, Caballero said Colombia and Türkiye have significant potential to expand cooperation in renewable energy, decarbonization and clean technology through joint projects, investment and knowledge exchange. She added that, for ProColombia, this area could become a new pillar for developing future initiatives.
“The next step is to continue strengthening promotion, connectivity, commercialization and product segmentation,” she remarked, particularly in the fields of nature, culture, wellness, luxury experiences and MICE tourism.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday announced a fresh increase in export financing, raising the annual limit for rediscount loans to TL5 billion while unveiling a target of boosting Türkiye’s exports to distant markets to $50 billion by 2028.
Speaking at the Turkish Exporters Assembly’s (TIM) 33rd Ordinary General Assembly and Export Champions Awards Ceremony in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the government would continue supporting exporters through expanded financing as Türkiye seeks to maintain its export-driven growth.
The president said the annual limit for rediscount loans, which had previously been raised from TL300 million to TL4.5 billion, would now increase to TL5 billion with an additional TL500 million in funding.
“We had previously raised the annual limit for rediscount loans from TL300 million to TL4.5 billion. With an additional TL500 million, we are increasing this figure to TL5 billion,” Erdoğan said.
He also announced that Türkiye aims to raise exports to distant countries to $50 billion by 2028, describing the target as part of Ankara’s broader strategy to diversify export markets and sustain economic momentum.
Erdoğan noted that Türkiye has recorded uninterrupted economic growth for 23 consecutive quarters, highlighting exports as one of the key drivers of that performance.
Congratulating companies and business leaders honored during the ceremony, Erdoğan said export success requires perseverance, determination and hard work, adding that he understands the challenges faced by exporters through his own background in trade.
Sales from industrial goods manufactured in Türkiye reached 24.03 trillion Turkish liras ($608.3 billion) in 2025, the country’s statistical authority said Friday.
Türkiye produced 1.216 million automobiles, 8.329 million household refrigerators and freezers, 334 million tons of ready-mixed concrete, 1.266 million combi boilers, 9.557 million tons of detergents and washing preparations, and 774,970 motorcycles last year, according to annual industrial product statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
The total value of sales from products manufactured by enterprises climbed 27.7% year-on-year in 2025, up from TL 18.815 trillion in 2024 and TL 13.344 trillion in 2023.
Food industry products accounted for 15.5% of total sales, followed by basic metals at 10.2%, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers at 9.7%, and fabricated metal products at 6.1%.
High-technology products made up 3.6% of the total sales value in manufacturing last year. Low- and medium-low-technology products together accounted for 67.5%, while medium-high-technology products had a 28.8% share.
By main industrial groups, intermediate goods accounted for the largest share of total sales at 43.8%, followed by non-durable consumer goods at 23.7% and capital goods at 21.8%.
In the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, the top five provinces accounted for 83.1% of total sales value. Kocaeli held the largest share at 34%, followed by Bursa at 29.8%, Sakarya at 11.8%, Aksaray at 3.9% and Izmir at 3.6%.
In contract manufacturing, clothing products accounted for 32.3% in manufacturing, followed by textile products at 17.6% and fabricated metal products at 9.3%.
Türkiye was home to 688 companies funded by Latin American and Caribbean capital as of the end of 2025, with their capital investment stock in the country reaching $3.4 billion, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said.
Speaking at a meeting with ambassadors of Latin American countries at the Trade Ministry on Thursday, Bolat offered condolences on behalf of the Turkish nation and government over the earthquake in Venezuela, saying Türkiye would stand by the country in search and rescue and other relief efforts.
Bolat said relations between Türkiye and Latin America had developed on the basis of mutual respect and a shared vision, adding that the “Latin America and the Caribbean Opening Policy,” launched in 1998 and updated in 2006, had begun to bear fruit.
Pointing to the significant increase in Türkiye’s diplomatic presence in the region in recent years, Bolat said: “We increased the number of our diplomatic missions from six in 2002 to 20 today. We have trade counselor offices in most countries in the region. Likewise, we are very pleased that Latin American countries have 18 embassies in Türkiye.”
Bolat said Türkiye and Latin American countries had signed important trade and political agreements over the past two decades, while direct flights from Türkiye to the region had also begun during this period.
He also highlighted aid carried out in the region by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), saying Turkish institutions had rapidly delivered assistance to the region during natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Despite geopolitical risks and protectionist policies, Bolat said the Turkish economy had recorded positive growth for the past 23 quarters and ranked 16th in the world with an economy exceeding $1.1 trillion. He said Türkiye had introduced legal regulations to provide incentives to international investors.
Bolat noted that Türkiye had reduced the corporate tax rate for international investments from 25% to 12.5%.
“We have also launched the ‘One-Stop Office’ system to carry out the permit and licensing procedures investors need from a single center. Our national income per capita has exceeded $18,000. The downward trend in inflation and unemployment remaining in single digits for the past three years continue to make Türkiye an attractive center for investors,” he said.
Bolat said Türkiye’s combined goods and services exports reached $390 billion in 2025, adding that the target for 2026 was $410 billion. He also pointed to the global success of the Turkish contracting sector, saying Turkish firms had undertaken projects worth $562 billion in 138 countries.
Bolat said the coming period would see intense diplomatic activity, noting that Türkiye would host major international events this year, including the NATO Summit, the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP31 and the International Astronautical Congress.
He said Türkiye’s trade relations with Latin America and the Caribbean had gained momentum in recent years. The total trade volume with the region stood at just $920 million in 2000 but increased 18-fold over 25 years to reach $16.4 billion, he said.
Bolat said $5.7 billion of the total trade consisted of Türkiye’s exports to Latin America and the Caribbean, while $10.6 billion came from imports from the region.
“Trade with the region continued to increase in the first five months of this year, reaching $8.3 billion. While Türkiye’s exports to Latin America remained almost unchanged during this period, imports from the Latin American region increased by 19%. Thus, the foreign trade volume rose by 15.7%,” he said.
Bolat said Türkiye’s exports to Latin American countries mainly included gold, jewelry, iron and steel, automotive products, cement and petroleum oils, while imports from the region included live cattle, raw unprocessed gold, soybeans, coffee, cotton and hard coal.
Noting that Latin America and the Caribbean still did not account for a large share of Türkiye’s foreign trade, Bolat said the region’s share in Türkiye’s total exports in 2025 was 2.1%, while its share in total imports was around 3%.
“This picture shows that our supply from the region has strengthened, but it also indicates that we need to place greater importance on mutual trade relations and achieve a more balanced structure in foreign trade. In the coming period, we will raise these rates further,” he said.
Bolat said Türkiye was closely following regional integration initiatives such as MERCOSUR, or the Southern Common Market, and the Pacific Alliance, in addition to maintaining good bilateral ties with countries in the region.
“We are also carefully monitoring developments regarding the free trade agreement signed between the European Union and MERCOSUR. We believe Türkiye’s more than 30 years of Customs Union integration experience with the European Union in industrial products is also important for developing our economic relations with MERCOSUR,” he said.
Bolat said Türkiye had free trade agreements with Chile and Venezuela in the region, Joint Economic Commission mechanisms with 24 countries and Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) mechanisms with several countries.
He said the first JETCO meeting with Paraguay had also been held recently, adding that Türkiye had agreements on the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments with eight friendly countries in the region, as well as double taxation avoidance agreements with six countries.
Bolat said there were 13 business councils for the region within the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), adding that Türkiye aimed to further advance trade, investment and economic cooperation through new projects and that he believed the number of business councils would increase further.
Highlighting mutual investments, Bolat said: “As of the end of 2025, 688 companies with Latin American and Caribbean capital had been established in Türkiye, and their capital investment stock in Türkiye stood at $3.4 billion. Direct investment and capital stock from Türkiye to Latin American countries amounts to $1.3 billion. Turkish companies have investments in many sectors in Latin America, from port operations and energy investments to construction and tourism. Considering the potential between us, it is clear that mutual investments need to increase further.”
Bolat said the total value of projects undertaken by Turkish international contracting firms in Latin America and the Caribbean had reached $1.6 billion, with 45 projects completed or undertaken to date.
He also said Turkish TV series had attracted intense interest in the region, adding that Türkiye was the world’s third-fastest-growing country in TV series and film exports after the U.S. and the U.K.
Bolat said Turkish productions had become a global brand, reaching more than 1 billion viewers daily in over 150 countries.
“Turkish TV series attract great interest across Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Mexico and Brazil, as well as in North America, both on national television channels and digital streaming platforms,” he said.
“With the growing interest in Turkish series in recent years, there has also been a significant rise in demand among people in the region to learn Turkish. According to the latest services export data, Türkiye exports around $610 million worth of TV series annually, 22% of which goes to the Americas. Around 40% of Türkiye’s TV and film exports to the Americas reach service consumers in the Latin American market,” he added.
Bolat said Türkiye also recognized Latin America’s deep-rooted production experience in the sector, noting that Latin American TV series were also followed with great interest in Türkiye.
“By combining Latin America’s experience in TV and film production with Türkiye’s production strength, intensive cooperation can be developed in areas such as joint productions, adaptations, scriptwriting and format exchange,” he said.
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