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Turkey and Greece: the two emerging paper buying markets reshaping Mediterranean trade

Capacity, demand growth and the logistics corridors making Izmir and Piraeus strategic ports for kraft and PBL.

Mediterranean paper flows are shifting east. Turkey's construction boom and Greece's converter consolidation are turning Izmir and Piraeus into strategic delivery ports for European mills. Buyers in both markets should know what is changing.

Turkey: demand outpacing local supply

Turkish plasterboard capacity has expanded by ~30% since 2022, driven by domestic construction and exports to MENA. Local PBL production cannot keep up. Imports from Austria, Germany and Sweden have grown sharply, with Izmir handling the bulk of the inbound volume.

Greece: a converter hub for the Balkans

Greek bag converters have positioned themselves as the supply base for Balkan retail. Piraeus and Thessaloniki ports give them 48-hour reach to Sofia, Belgrade and Bucharest. The bottleneck is kraft availability.

Why this matters for your contract

  • Container freight rates from northern Europe to Turkey have stabilised, making CFR Izmir contracts competitive again.
  • Lead times to Piraeus from German and Polish mills: 14–18 days.
  • WeePaper holds buffer stock in both ports for fast-track delivery.
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