“The solar glass sector should be protected through trade defense measures”

The Association of Exporters of Cement, Glass, Ceramics, and Earthenware Products (ÇCSİB) held a “Glass Sector Meeting” in Istanbul on June 8, 2026.

ÇCSİB Vice President Tansu Kumru, speaking at the meeting, noted that, driven by investments in the renewable energy sector in Türkiye, the glass industry had made a major leap forward in solar glass production, increasing its production capacity fivefold.

Tansu Kumru went on to note that these investments must not be disrupted and that the domestic industry must be protected against unfair import pressure through trade defense measures.

Ms. Kumru continued by stating the following:

We are seeing that countries with cost advantages are redirecting more of their imported products—which create unfair competition—to Türkiye, partly due to the global decline in demand. In particular, attempts to render existing trade policy measures ineffective by rerouting products of Chinese origin through Malaysia into our country are further intensifying the pressure of unfair competition. This situation, which increases the current account deficit, is leading to greater difficulties for domestic producers. The proactive steps taken by our Ministry of Trade during this process have been a lifeline for our sector. Over the past year, the initiation of anti-dumping investigations against China and Egypt regarding glass tableware, the implementation of anti-dumping duties on glass fiber, and additional measures targeting flat glass and automotive glass have been critical achievements in protecting domestic production. Expanding these measures will constitute a complementary and integrated strategy for bringing imports under control.