Eurasia Packaging Istanbul opens for the 31st time: plastic packaging exports up 12.6% in nine months
Figures announced at the opening of the fair, held at Tüyap on 13–16 October, show Turkish plastic packaging exports rising 12.6% to 3.2 billion dollars in January–September 2026; more than 1,100 companies from 35 countries took part.
The Eurasia Packaging Istanbul fair opened for the 31st time at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center on 13–16 October 2026. Organised by Reed Tüyap with the support of the Ministry of Trade and the Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD), it covered 120,000 m² of indoor space in 14 halls, with more than 1,100 companies and representatives from 35 countries. The Rigid Plastic Packaging Manufacturers Association (SEPA) was among the supporters. The organiser put together an international buyer delegation of about 200 people from 40 countries.
Key figures shared at the opening:
- Plastic packaging exports (İKMİB): up 12.6% to 3.2 billion dollars in January–September 2026. Chemical exports rose about 7% to 25.8 billion dollars in the same period.
- Packaging sector (ASD): exports rose about 9% to over 3.8 billion dollars in the first half of 2026; the 2030 target is a 50-billion-dollar sector with 10 billion dollars of exports.
- TİM: the packaging sector exported 7.3 billion dollars in 2025, with a target of 8 billion this year. Türkiye's share of the roughly 380-billion-dollar world packaging market is around 2%.
MAKFED chairman Adnan Dalgakıran stressed that Türkiye cannot compete on low labour costs and that packaging design could become a new advantage.
What does this mean for a molder?
Export demand for injection-molded packaging — closures, pails, crates and preforms — remains strong. Competition is shifting from price towards design, lightweighting (thinner walls, less material) and recycled content, which puts short cycle times and tight tolerances in mold and process at the forefront.
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