Abstract:

Foreign trade deficits are among the most essential problems experienced by developing countries. In the fight against these deficits, maximizing the power of local actors of foreign trade has emerged as an obligation. Within this framework, the aim of this study is to determine the current state of foreign trade in the Turkish province of Isparta through SWOT analysis. To this aim, 20 foreign trade firms whose business transactions constitute about 95,8% of Isparta’s total foreign trade are covered in the study. It is determined that Isparta’s biggest strengths in foreign trade are international connections, proximity to customs clearance firms, popularity and brand images, raw material supply, and links with logistics firms; whereas its biggest weaknesses are limited transportation facilities, underdeveloped state of the organized industrial zones, and lack of industrial clusters. On the other hand, the province’s most important opportunities in terms of foreign trade are Turkey’s international image, opportunities to participate in foreign trade fairs, domestic and international competitiveness, and proximity to raw materials; whereas the biggest threats are Turkey’s economic and political instability, constraints imposed by international agreements, and insufficiency of government incentives.