Türkiye reached a historic export milestone of $273.4 billion in goods exports in 2025, the highest in the Republic’s history. However, as of January 1, 2026, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has entered its financial phase, introducing a new framework where the carbon intensity of exported products directly impacts trade costs.
Türkiye Achieves Historic Export Performance
Türkiye’s goods exports increased by 4.5% year-on-year in 2025, reaching $273.4 billion, the highest level in the country’s history.
Total exports of goods and services climbed to $396.5 billion, while in December the largest share of exports, exceeding $10 billion, was directed to European Union countries, underlining the strategic importance of the EU market for Turkish exporters.
€1.8 Billion Carbon Cost Risk
With the transition of CBAM into its financial obligation phase on January 1, 2026, sustainability compliance has evolved from an environmental policy into a core competitiveness factor for exporters.
According to TÜSİAD analyses, delays in adapting to the EU Green Deal and CBAM could lead to annual carbon costs of approximately €1.8 billion for Turkish exporters.
This potential financial burden poses a direct risk to profit margins and international competitiveness, particularly for carbon-intensive industries.
Manual Sustainability Reporting Is Ending
Under the new framework, companies must be able to transparently and verifiably report Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions.
Collecting sustainability data manually through scattered spreadsheets increases the risk of errors and may create compliance issues during EU audits. As a result, digital sustainability management systems integrated with ERP platforms are becoming essential tools for exporters.
In this context, Canias ERP’s Enterprise Sustainability Management (ESM) module enables companies to track carbon consumption in real time by integrating production, procurement, and financial data.
Carbon Footprint Calculated Through Invoice Data
One of the module’s key capabilities is the Invoice Control integration, which allows carbon consumption values to be automatically calculated based on procurement invoices.
This enables companies to monitor their carbon footprint not through estimates but through actual financial and operational records.
The system can also analyze carbon data based on:
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Suppliers
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Product groups
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Emission sources
This structured reporting supports data-driven strategic decision-making at the management level.
“Sustainability Is Now a Financial Metric”
Nuri Aycan, Chief Automation Officer (CAO) at IAS, emphasized that sustainability has become a measurable financial parameter in international trade.
“Türkiye’s historic export performance now brings a new digital maturity test in 2026. With the financial phase of the EU Green Deal coming into effect, sustainability is no longer just a corporate responsibility—it has become a direct competitive requirement. In cross-border trade, competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to measure and manage carbon emissions as a financial data point.”
Aycan noted that Canias ERP’s ESM module integrates sustainability into production and procurement processes, transforming carbon tracking from manual reporting into a digitally managed, data-driven system supported by invoices and operational data.
A “Green Passport” for Exports
The reporting framework required under CBAM extends beyond emissions within production facilities to include energy consumption and indirect emissions across the supply chain.
The ESM module calculates and reports emissions according to global Scope 1, 2, and 3 standards, while emission factors are aligned with international references such as IPCC, the GHG Protocol, and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
