Turkish exports hold steady, imports surge in April
Türkiye's trade data for April 2024, released by the Turkish Statistical Institute and Ministry of Trade, reveals a mixed picture with a slight increase in imports by 4.0% while exports saw a marginal rise of 0.1% compared to the same period last year.
The provisional data indicates that exports totaled $19.254 billion, reflecting a negligible increase of 0.1% from April 2023. On the other hand, imports surged to $29.117 billion, marking a notable 4.0% rise during the same period.
For the January-April 2024 period, exports experienced a modest uptick of 2.7%, reaching $82.839 billion, whereas imports witnessed a significant decline of 9.0%, totaling $113.081 billion compared to the same period last year.
Excluding energy products and non-monetary gold, April 2024 exports dipped by 3.9% to $17.291 billion, while imports increased by 2.3% to $22.354 billion, resulting in a foreign trade deficit of $5.062 billion.
Germany emerged as Türkiye's top export destination in April 2024, with exports valued at $1.483 billion. Meanwhile, China led the import partners with imports totaling $3.754 billion.
The manufacturing industry continued to dominate Türkiye's export landscape, accounting for 94.6% of total exports in April 2024.
Despite challenges, Türkiye's foreign trade deficit saw a significant reduction of 30.5% in the January-April 2024 period compared to the same period in 2023, amounting to $30.243 billion.
Türkiye's trade dynamics in April 2024 reflect a nuanced scenario, with a slight increase in imports contrasting with a marginal rise in exports. Despite the challenges, efforts to diversify export destinations and reduce the trade deficit appear promising. (ILKHA)