Turkey hikes boron exports

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet

Turkey, which possesses 75 percent of the world’s boron resources, sold 2 million tons of boron last year, up 21 percent from the year before.

The country is expected to increase its production of boron and related chemicals to 2.2 million tons in 2013 by pursuing new investments.

Most of Turkey’s boron exports consist of Etibor-48, which is the trade name for Borax Pentahydrate, produced in Kırka in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir.

According to a report prepared by the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, the world’s boron consumption increased 32 percent over the past year. Boron consumption witnessed an increase in North America, but a decrease in Europe due to the economic crisis. There was also a boom in boron consumption in Asia, which is a new export destination for Turkey.