ICI Released Türkiye Manufacturing PMI and Türkiye Sector PMI April 2026 Report

• 04.05.2026
• News

The headline PMI posted 45.7 in April, down from 47.9 in March, signalling a solid monthly easing of business conditions in the manufacturing sector at the start of the second quarter of the year. Moreover, the health of the sector moderated to the largest extent since September 2024. Manufacturing production was scaled back to the joint-largest extent since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the pace of moderation equal to that seen in September 2024. The latest slowdown was the twenty-fifth in as many months and often linked by panellists to the war in the Middle East. 

According to the ICI Sector PMI april report, inflationary pressures built up in the vast majority of sectors monitored in the survey, while suppliers’ delivery times lengthened in nearly all sectors. The only sector to increase output and new orders was the clothing and leather products sector. Output slowed in all of the remaining nine sectors. The most significant decline in output was observed in the chemicals, plastics, and rubber sector, after recording growth the previous month. The sharpest decline in new orders occurred in the textile sector. New export orders also declined across all sectors, led by the textile sector. The low level of workload in April led to job cuts in the early part of the second quarter across most of the sectors. 

Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI) released the April 2026 results of Türkiye Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) survey, which is recognized as the fastest and reliable indicator of the manufacturing industry’s performance in the economic growth. According to the survey results, where any figure greater than 50.0 indicates overall improvement of the sector, the headline PMI posted 45.7 in April, down from 47.9 in March and signalling a solid monthly easing of business conditions in the manufacturing sector at the start of the second quarter of the year. Moreover, the health of the sector moderated to the largest extent since September 2024.

Manufacturing production was scaled back to the joint-largest extent since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the pace of moderation equal to that seen in September 2024. 

The latest slowdown was the twenty-fifth in as many months and often linked by panellists to the war in the Middle East. Total new orders and new business from abroad also eased to much larger degrees than was the case in March. Softer new order inflows in part reflected building inflationary pressures. The rate of input cost inflation quickened for the fifth consecutive month to the fastest since January 2024, while charges were up at the sharpest pace in over two years. Higher fuel and oil costs as a result of the war were widely mentioned. Firms also reported a marked lengthening of suppliers' delivery times, with the deterioration in vendor performance the most pronounced since February 2023. Manufacturers continued to scale back their workforce numbers, purchasing activity and inventory holdings in response to a slowdown in new orders. The depletion in stocks of inputs was the most pronounced in six years.

Commenting on the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Türkiye Manufacturing PMI survey data, Andrew Harker, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said:

"April saw an intensification of the impact of the war in the Middle East on the Turkish manufacturing sector, with firms reporting muted demand, strengthening inflation and supply-chain disruption. Concerns around how long the effects of the conflict may persist mean that manufacturers are in a cautious mood, scaling back employment, purchasing and inventories accordingly. Firms will be hoping for a speedy resolution to the war in order to be able to get back on track in the months ahead.”

ICI’s Türkiye Sector PMI reports a marked lengthening of suppliers' delivery times in nearly all sectors.

The Istanbul Chamber of Industry’s (ICI) April report on the Türkiye Sector PMI highlighted the impact of the war in the Middle East on the Turkish manufacturing sector as a whole. Inflationary pressures intensified in the vast majority of sectors monitored in the survey, while suppliers’ delivery times lengthened in nearly all sectors. On the other hand, the only sector to increase output and new orders in April was the clothing and leather products sector, putting an end to its 10-month contraction period with this increase in output. Output slowed in all of the remaining nine sectors. The most significant decline in output was observed in the chemicals, plastics, and rubber sector, after recording growth the previous month. A similar pattern was observed in new orders, with the sharpest decline occurring in the textile sector. New export orders also declined across all sectors, led by the textile sector. Export losses were very limited in the clothing and leather products sector and machinery and metal products sector. The low level of workload in April led to job cuts in the early part of the second quarter across most of the sectors. The staffing numbers increased only in the clothing and leather products and electrical and electronic equipment sectors. The most pronounced decline in employment, however, occurred in the base metal sector. 

Cost pressures intensified in general in April. Input price inflation rose in eight out of ten sectors compared to March. The sharpest rise in costs occurred in the chemicals, plastics, and rubber sector, with inflation reaching a 27-month high. The mildest increase was recorded in machinery and metal products. The chemicals, plastics, and rubber sector also led the way in finished goods price inflation. The increase in April occurred at the fastest pace in over four years. Sales prices for clothing and leather products rose sharply in April, after remaining stable the previous month. The electrical and electronic equipment was the only sector where the pace of increase in finished goods prices slowed. However, inflation remained at a significant level even in this sector. In April, suppliers’ delivery times showed a widespread trend of increase. The only sector improving its supplier performance was base metals, while the most significant deterioration was recorded in the textile sector, which experienced the longest delays since January 2022.

 

You can find attached the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Türkiye Manufacturing PMI and Sector PMI April 2026 reports.