Over the last four years, the Turkish furniture sector has taken major steps to reach the top in the Balkans. While Romania and Bulgaria’s furniture imports rose by 52 percent in the last four years—from $1.8 billion to $2.75 billion—Turkey’s exports to these two countries increased by 117 percent in the same period, from $157 million to $341 million.
Having risen to the position of the second-largest supplier in the Bulgarian market and third in Romania, Turkey aims for leadership in these markets with the “Romania–Bulgaria Furniture Trade Mission” covering both countries on November 17–22, 2025.
“Our market share in Romania has risen to 12 percent”
Ali Fuat Gürle, Chairman of the Board of the Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters’ Association, stated that Romania’s furniture imports increased by 53 percent over the last four years—from $1.355 billion to $2.033 billion—and shared the following: “Turkey’s furniture exports to Romania rose by 110 percent in the same period, from $116 million to $243 million. Thus, our market share increased from 8.5 percent to 12 percent. We moved up to third place in the ranking of Romania’s top furniture import countries, surpassing Germany. We reduced the gap with Poland from $131 million to $36 million. Our first goal is to overtake Poland and move into second place, and in the medium term to surpass China, which is in the leading position, by leveraging our proximity to the market.”
Emphasizing that the Turkish furniture sector has this potential, Gürle said, “If the Turkish economy strengthens the ecosystem that supports exports, we have the capacity to reach number one in the Romanian market.”
Exports from the Aegean Region up 34 percent
Gürle noted that in 2024 the total furniture exports of the Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters’ Association declined by 3.5 percent from $197 million to $190 million, and added: “In contrast, our exports to Bulgaria and Romania rose by 34 percent from $11 million to $14.7 million. While these two countries’ share in our Association’s exports was 5.5 percent in 2023, it reached 8 percent by the end of 2024. Our exports to Balkan countries are rapidly increasing both across Türkiye and in the Aegean Region.”
We rank second in Bulgaria
Hikmet Güngör, Vice Chairman of the Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters’ Association, stated that Bulgaria’s furniture imports increased from $451 million in 2020 to $713 million by the end of 2024, while Turkey boosted its exports in this period by 139 percent from $41 million to $98 million, and said, “Turkey has surpassed Poland to become the second-largest supplier in Bulgaria’s furniture imports.”
Sharing that Romania and Bulgaria import across all furniture groups, Güngör invited furniture exporters to participate in the “Romania–Bulgaria Furniture Trade Mission,” to be held on November 17–22, 2025.
For the organization of the Furniture Trade Mission, an application will be submitted to the Ministry of Trade within the scope of the Decision No. 5973 on Export Supports. The participation fee—exclusive of state support—has been set at USD 2,300.00, with an additional USD 1,400.00 if a second person joins from the same company.