Hatay's digital trade potential
Hatay is the production and trade centre of the eastern Mediterranean, where agri-food and heavy industry sit side by side. Olives and olive oil are among the city's flagship products; Hatay accounts for a significant share of Türkiye's olive production and holds a large number of olive oil pressing facilities.
Alongside olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables, bay leaves, soap and regional foods make up Hatay's strong agri-food arms. Antakya cuisine adds considerable gastronomic and brand value to the city — an opportunity for both restaurants and regional product exports.
On the industrial side, iron and steel stands out: İskenderun is one of Türkiye's largest steel production centres, and high-capacity steel plants operate in the city. That makes Hatay one of the rare provinces where food and heavy industry exports meet.
İskenderun port and a developed transport network give Hatay a strong logistics advantage, which means speed and cost benefits for exporters. Even so, many companies lack a multilingual site, a brand and digital B2B visibility — a direct growth area.
Hatay's food products, particularly olive oil and regional specialities, are brand and story driven; geographical indication, transparency in production and visual quality decide online sales. A well-built digital presence takes the Hatay product out of the hands of intermediaries and connects it directly to consumers and importers.
After the difficulties it has faced, Hatay is in a strong process of recovery and return to production; in this period, becoming visible again digitally is critical for brands, both to refresh ties with existing customers and to open new markets. A well-built digital presence is the fastest and lowest-cost way to keep communicating with buyers and to reach markets abroad.