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From January to September 2018, exported goods from Turkey were valued at $123 billion. This 9-month metric puts Turkish exports on track for an annualized $164.1 billion estimated for all 2018.
Based on estimates from the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, Turkey’s exported goods plus services represent 24% of total Turkish economic output or Gross Domestic Product. The analysis below focuses on exported products only.
From a continental perspective, 53.3% of Turkish exports by value are delivered to European countries while 29.7% are sold to Asian importers. Turkey ships another 7.2% worth of goods to Africa and 6.5% to North American customers. A much smaller percentage of Turkish exports arrived in Latin America (excluding Mexico) and the Caribbean.
Given Turkey’s population of 80.8 million people, its total $157.1 billion in 2017 exports translates to roughly $1,900 for every resident in that country.
Turkey’s unemployment rate was 10.3% as of October 2017 up from 8.5% one year earlier, according to Trading Economics.
Turkey’s Top 10 Exports
Top 10
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Turkish global shipments during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Turkey.
At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) level, Turkey’s number 1 export product are cars followed by gold, automotive parts and accessories, trucks, jewelry then T-shirts.
- Vehicles: US$23.9 billion (15.2% of total exports)
- Machinery including computers: $13.8 billion (8.8%)
- Gems, precious metals: $10.9 billion (6.9%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $8.8 billion (5.6%)
- Iron, steel: $8.2 billion (5.2%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $8.1 billion (5.2%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $6 billion (3.8%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $5.6 billion (3.6%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $5.5 billion (3.5%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $4.3 billion (2.8%)
Turkey’s top 10 exports accounted for three-fifths (60.6%) of the overall value of its global shipments.
Led by refined petroleum oils and petroleum gases, the mineral fuels including oil category was the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories via its 34.7% increase from 2016 to 2017.
Close behind in second place was iron and steel with its 33.3% improvement.
Exported vehicles posted the third-fastest gain in value at 20.9%, followed by items made from iron or steel up 12.9%.
Only one top product category declined, gems and precious metals which dropped -10.7% year over year, thanks mainly to diminished international sales of gold, silver and diamonds.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of Turkey’s Most Valuable Export Products further down below.
Advantages
The following types of Turkish product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: US$8.1 billion (Up by 0.7% since 2016)
- Vehicles: $6.5 billion (Up by 232.3%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $4.6 billion (Up by 8.9%)
- Fruits, nuts: $3.4 billion (Up by 1.1%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $2.6 billion (Up by 33.5%)
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $2.2 billion (Up by 20.1%)
- Textile floor coverings: $2.1 billion (Up by 13.9%)
- Miscellaneous textiles, worn clothing: $1.8 billion (Up by 4.9%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $1.8 billion (Up by 9.9%)
- Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $1.8 billion (Up by 2%)
Turkey has highly positive net exports in the international trade of apparel. In turn, these cashflows indicate Turkey’s strong competitive advantages under the knit or crochet clothing product categories.
Opportunities
Overall Turkey posted a -$76.7 billion deficit on all products for 2017 expanding 36.8% from the -$56.1 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2016.
As of June 2018, Turkey’s trade deficit stood at -$40.7 billion up 31.7% compared to the first 6 months of 2017.
Below are exports from Turkey that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Turkey’s goods trail Turkish importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$32.9 billion (Up by 37.2% since 2016)
- Machinery including computers: -$13.3 billion (Down by -10.9%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$13.1 billion (Up by 6.1%)
- Iron, steel: -$8.5 billion (Up by 33.3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$7.8 billion (Up by 18%)
- Gems, precious metals: -$6.6 billion (Down by -232%)
- Organic chemicals: -$4.7 billion (Up by 21.7%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$4.2 billion (Up by 6.7%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$3.6 billion (Up by 5.4%)
- Copper: -$1.9 billion (Up by 17.1%)
Turkey has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels including oil–particularly processed oils, coal and petroleum gases.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Turkey’s competitive disadvantages in the international fossil fuel market, but also represent key opportunities for Turkey to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.
Companies
Turkish Export Companies
Based on Forbes Global 2000 rankings, the following companies are examples of leading Turkish companies:
- Koç Group (industrial conglomerate)
- Sabanci Holding (automotive, banking)
- Turkcell (mobile phones)
- Enka (construction services)
- Anadolu Efes (brewery, non-alcoholic drinks)
Global trade intelligence firm Zepol lists the following firms exporting from Turkey:
- Anadolu Dokum San (cast iron/steel articles)
- Cevikler Dis Ticaret (monumental/building stone)
- Evimteks Dis Tic Ve Paz (woven fabrics, facial tissues)
- MCE Cargo (steam condensers, plywood)
- Ulus Metal San Ve Tic (chain sprockets, transmission components, auto parts)
Turkey’s capital city is Ankara.
Searchable List of Turkey’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, Turkey’s top export products are cars followed by gold, trucks then jewelry.
The following searchable table displays 200 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Turkey during 2017. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2016.
| Rank | Turkish Export Product | 2017 Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cars | $11.8 billion | +41.4% |
| 2 | Gold (unwrought) | $6.6 billion | -19.9% |
| 3 | Trucks | $4.8 billion | +5.3% |
| 4 | Jewelry | $4.13 billion | +9.9% |
| 5 | Automobile parts/accessories | $4.11 billion | +6.4% |
| 6 | Processed petroleum oils | $3.7 billion | +31.6% |
| 7 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $2.9 billion | -1.8% |
| 8 | Iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods | $2.6 billion | -2.9% |
| 9 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $2.5 billion | +9.2% |
| 10 | Insulated wire/cable | $1.9 billion | +8.9% |
| 11 | Textile floor coverings, carpets | $1.84 billion | +13.6% |
| 12 | Refrigerators, freezers | $1.8 billion | +3.6% |
| 13 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $1.8 billion | +10.7% |
| 14 | Piston engine parts | $1.7 billion | +7.1% |
| 15 | Public-transport vehicles | $1.6 billion | +7.8% |
| 16 | TV receivers/monitors/projectors | $1.5 billion | +4.5% |
| 17 | Men's suits, trousers (not knit or crochet) | $1.4 billion | -5.9% |
| 18 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $1.4 billion | +70.5% |
| 19 | Miscellaneous furniture | $1.3 billion | +1.9% |
| 20 | Miscellaneous nuts | $1.3 billion | -5.8% |
| 21 | Linens | $1.2 billion | +0.7% |
| 22 | Women's clothing (knit or crochet) | $1.2 billion | -4.2% |
| 23 | Miscellaneous iron or steel tubes, pipes | $1.2 billion | +39.1% |
| 24 | Rubber tires (new) | $1.1 billion | +15.9% |
| 25 | Monument/building stone including marble | $1.1 billion | +28.4% |
| 26 | Stockings, hosiery (knit or crochet) | $1.1 billion | +2.3% |
| 27 | Wheat, meslin flour | $1.1 billion | -2.3% |
| 28 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $1 billion | +4.7% |
| 29 | Washing machines | $991.7 million | +3.4% |
| 30 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $976.2 million | +5.8% |
| 31 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $943.2 million | +10.9% |
| 32 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $941.9 million | +6.2% |
| 33 | Monument/building stones, art | $927 million | +0.4% |
| 34 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $889.8 million | +10% |
| 35 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $879 million | +1,109% |
| 36 | Fresh or dried citrus fruit | $853.2 million | -4.5% |
| 37 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $850.3 million | +8% |
| 38 | Other than warp-knit fabrics | $829.4 million | +2.9% |
| 39 | Synthetic yarn woven fabrics | $817.1 million | +0.6% |
| 40 | Iron or non-alloy steel angles, shapes, sections | $787.7 million | +16.3% |
| 41 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $765.2 million | +12.6% |
| 42 | Tractors | $762.6 million | +16.1% |
| 43 | Miscellaneous preserved fruits | $761 million | +2.1% |
| 44 | Electrical converters/power units | $728.4 million | -16.4% |
| 45 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $711.8 million | +130.5% |
| 46 | Women's shirts (not knit or crochet) | $698.2 million | -3.2% |
| 47 | Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners | $694.8 million | +0.5% |
| 48 | Cruise/cargo ships, barges | $680.6 million | +34% |
| 49 | Aluminum bars/rods | $675 million | +17.1% |
| 50 | Vulcanized rubber items | $665.5 million | +4.9% |
| 51 | Coiled iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods | $657.5 million | +76.6% |
| 52 | Aircraft parts | $655.3 million | +6.2% |
| 53 | Medication mixes in dosage | $648.7 million | +10.3% |
| 54 | Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines | $643.4 million | +16.4% |
| 55 | Synthetic filament yarn | $605.2 million | +8% |
| 56 | Grapes (fresh or dried) | $604 million | +13.8% |
| 57 | Men's shirts (not knit or crochet) | $553.9 million | -3.6% |
| 58 | Unglazed ceramic flags, paving/wall tiles | $551.6 million | +602.5% |
| 59 | Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil | $550.7 million | -13.5% |
| 60 | Hydraulic cements | $531.4 million | +7.8% |
| 61 | Poultry meat | $526.6 million | +45.7% |
| 62 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $525.8 million | +6.7% |
| 63 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $522.8 million | -5.4% |
| 64 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $504.2 million | +13.4% |
| 65 | Pasta, couscous | $490.9 million | +16.3% |
| 66 | Woven fabrics (85%+ cotton) | $488.7 million | +1% |
| 67 | Wide knit or crochet fabrics | $486.9 million | +7.3% |
| 68 | Base metal mountings, fittings | $483.3 million | +9.8% |
| 69 | Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes | $479.9 million | -3.2% |
| 70 | Coated/laminated non-wovens | $478.9 million | +10.6% |
| 71 | Copper wire | $476.3 million | +30.4% |
| 72 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $471.1 million | +19% |
| 73 | Women's blouses, shirts | $464.8 million | -9.1% |
| 74 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $463 million | +3.6% |
| 75 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $461.8 million | +9% |
| 76 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $458.8 million | +13.9% |
| 77 | Yarn wash/clean/iron machines | $458.4 million | +17.6% |
| 78 | Central heating boilers | $458.2 million | +18.5% |
| 79 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $456.7 million | +10.7% |
| 80 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $444.1 million | +21.7% |
| 81 | Trailers | $441.9 million | +3.4% |
| 82 | Whole fish (fresh) | $438.8 million | +8.5% |
| 83 | Yarn (85%+ cotton) | $430.9 million | +12.9% |
| 84 | Central heating radiators | $426.6 million | +16.4% |
| 85 | Carbonates, percarbonates | $422.5 million | +32.5% |
| 86 | Machinery parts | $422.3 million | +1.4% |
| 87 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $417.9 million | +16.4% |
| 88 | Vulcanized rubber tubes, pipes | $417.6 million | +21% |
| 89 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $415.9 million | +3.5% |
| 90 | Plastic tableware, kitchenware, toiletry | $398.8 million | +12.1% |
| 91 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $397.8 million | +23.6% |
| 92 | Uninsulated copper wire, cables | $397.5 million | +41.9% |
| 93 | Zinc ores, concentrates | $388.3 million | +106% |
| 94 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $377.3 million | +6.2% |
| 95 | Birds' eggs in shell | $376.2 million | +30% |
| 96 | Air or vacuum pumps | $374.1 million | +16.9% |
| 97 | Turbo-jets | $369.8 million | +4% |
| 98 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $366.7 million | +13.4% |
| 99 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $365.6 million | +18.5% |
| 100 | Soap, organics surface-active cleaners | $357.8 million | +3.5% |
| 101 | Men's suits,trousers (knit or crochet) | $356.2 million | +2.8% |
| 102 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $350.9 million | +0.2% |
| 103 | Iron or non-alloy steel products (semi-finished) | $349.9 million | +292.9% |
| 104 | Unmanufactured tobacco, tobacco waste | $349.6 million | -2.4% |
| 105 | Other food preparations | $348.3 million | +2% |
| 106 | Wood fiberboard | $347 million | +31.7% |
| 107 | Iron and steel stoves, barbecues | $346.3 million | +13.4% |
| 108 | Miscellaneous machinery | $345.4 million | +28.9% |
| 109 | Chromium ores, concentrates | $344.7 million | +40.8% |
| 110 | Household glassware | $338.9 million | -5.7% |
| 111 | Packing sacks, bags | $338.2 million | +7% |
| 112 | Yarn (synthetic staple fibers) | $328.9 million | +19.3% |
| 113 | Footwear (leather) | $327.1 million | +22% |
| 114 | Sort/screen/washing machinery | $326.1 million | +19.3% |
| 115 | Aluminum foil (thin) | $317.9 million | +17.3% |
| 116 | Household/sanitary rolls | $314.3 million | +18.7% |
| 117 | Dates/figs/pineapples/mangoes/avocadoes/guavas | $306.9 million | +18.5% |
| 118 | Piston engines | $299.7 million | +53.3% |
| 119 | Dried shelled vegetables | $298.8 million | -12% |
| 120 | Electric storage batteries | $298.6 million | +31.9% |
| 121 | Apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums | $297 million | +20% |
| 122 | Dried fruit | $291.7 million | -6.3% |
| 123 | Tomatoes (fresh/chilled) | $290.2 million | +21% |
| 124 | Machine-tool for metal | $282.7 million | +10.9% |
| 125 | Miscellaneous aluminum items | $282.5 million | +12.5% |
| 126 | Cold-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $272.4 million | +65.4% |
| 127 | Fishing vessels, factory ships | $270.9 million | +129.5% |
| 128 | Monofilament, rods, sticks, shapes | $269.4 million | +7.7% |
| 129 | Cleaning/sorting/grading machines | $265 million | +24.8% |
| 130 | Natural borates, concentrates | $265 million | +18.1% |
| 131 | Tufted carpets/textile floor coverings | $260.6 million | +15.5% |
| 132 | Moulding boxes/base | $258.3 million | +21.4% |
| 133 | Jams, fruit jellies, marmalades, purees, pastes | $257.4 million | -8.3% |
| 134 | Electrical lighting/signaling equpment, defrosters | $256.6 million | +15.3% |
| 135 | Woven cotton fabrics | $249.1 million | -11.4% |
| 136 | Iron ferroalloys | $248.3 million | +25.8% |
| 137 | Men's shirts (knit or crochet) | $246.3 million | -3.5% |
| 138 | Women's underwear, pajamas (knit or crochet) | $241.7 million | -12.1% |
| 139 | Copper ores, concentrates | $234.7 million | +31.9% |
| 140 | Iron and steel tables, household items | $234.1 million | +4% |
| 141 | Vinegar-prepared vegetables, fruits, nuts | $232.6 million | +1.9% |
| 142 | Lamps, lighting, illuminated signs | $232.3 million | -9.3% |
| 143 | Ceramic sinks, washbasins | $230.8 million | +9% |
| 144 | Woven fabrics (mostly synthetic staple fibers) | $228.4 million | +0.5% |
| 145 | Plastic builders' items | $218.7 million | +0.7% |
| 146 | Temperature-change machines | $218.5 million | +22.7% |
| 147 | Flat-rolled stainless steel items | $218.2 million | +21.3% |
| 148 | Bridge structures, parts | $217.3 million | +0.1% |
| 149 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $215.9 million | +17.9% |
| 150 | Yeasts, prepared baking powders | $208.9 million | +3.2% |
| 151 | Acrylic polymers | $208.1 million | +12.2% |
| 152 | Cellulose fiber paper | $208 million | -13% |
| 153 | Air conditioners | $206.7 million | +6% |
| 154 | Personal toilet/shaving preparations, deodorants | $206.6 million | +5.4% |
| 155 | Engines (diesel) | $205.4 million | +8.2% |
| 156 | Electric generating sets, converters | $204.5 million | -27.6% |
| 157 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $204.4 million | +16.3% |
| 158 | Fish fillets, pieces | $202.9 million | +5% |
| 159 | Women's singlets,pyjamas (not knit or crochet) | $201.5 million | +2.7% |
| 160 | Olive oil | $200.4 million | +187.9% |
| 161 | Woven fabrics (mixed) | $198.2 million | -10% |
| 162 | Miscellaneous cast iron or steel items | $197.4 million | +14.5% |
| 163 | Safety glasses | $197 million | +9.1% |
| 164 | Phone system devices including smartphones | $196.2 million | -12.5% |
| 165 | Yarn (man-made staple fibers) | $193.7 million | +19.7% |
| 166 | Warp knit fabrics | $193.2 million | -1.3% |
| 167 | Footwear (rubber or plastic) | $189.8 million | +3.7% |
| 168 | Iron or steel scrap | $189.2 million | +28.5% |
| 169 | Other prepared/preserved vegetables (non-frozen) | $182.1 million | -2.3% |
| 170 | Woven pile, chenille fabrics | $181.9 million | -1.3% |
| 171 | Tomatoes (prepared/preserved) | $181.6 million | -5.8% |
| 172 | Infant clothing (knit or crochet) | $181.1 million | +3.1% |
| 173 | Feldspar, leucite, nepheline, flourspar | $179.9 million | +14.7% |
| 174 | Woven fabrics (artificial staple fibers) | $179.9 million | +6.2% |
| 175 | Lead ores, concentrates | $177.8 million | +50.8% |
| 176 | Lifting/loading machinery | $176.6 million | +25.4% |
| 177 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $175.8 million | -1.1% |
| 178 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $174.9 million | +10.2% |
| 179 | Iron or non-alloy steel wire | $170.6 million | +58.4% |
| 180 | Rubber/plastic article making machines | $169.3 million | +15.9% |
| 181 | Mattresses, quilts | $168.5 million | +26.9% |
| 182 | Prefabricated buildings | $168.3 million | -0.2% |
| 183 | Alloy steel bars, rods | $165.4 million | +28.4% |
| 184 | Uncoated paper | $164.9 million | +46.5% |
| 185 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $163.7 million | -11.6% |
| 186 | Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk) | $162.8 million | +21.1% |
| 187 | Glaze/graft putty, cement, filling | $160.5 million | +4.8% |
| 188 | Prepared cereal foods | $158.6 million | -4% |
| 189 | Hair preparations | $155.8 million | +7.9% |
| 190 | Cheese, curd | $153.6 million | +2.4% |
| 191 | Miscellaneous fresh/chilled vegetables | $151 million | +4.5% |
| 192 | Margarine | $149.3 million | -21.2% |
| 193 | Leather clothing, accessories | $148.7 million | -0.2% |
| 194 | Electric motors, generators | $146.5 million | +17% |
| 195 | Aluminum household items, sanitary ware | $144.5 million | +24.3% |
| 196 | Wood carpentry, builders' joinery | $143.7 million | -3.4% |
| 197 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $143.5 million | +9.7% |
| 198 | Industrial preparation machinery | $140.6 million | +11.2% |
| 199 | Miscellaneous furnishings | $139.7 million | +17.5% |
| 200 | Footwear (textile) | $139.3 million | +0.3% |
These 200 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$132.4 billion or 84.3% by value for all products exported from Turkey during 2017.
See also Turkey’s Top 10 Exports, Turkey’s Top 10 Imports and Turkey’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on August 31, 2018
The World Factbook, Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Turkey. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Forbes 2015 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on August 31, 2018
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