This article is giving some very useful data on Turkey’s top exports in 2019 and some valuable overview on the export performance of Turkey since 2001. What are the top exports of Turkey, Top Turkish Product exports, and countries where Turkey exported the most?
Turkish manufacturers and exporters recorded a dramatic growth in the last 20 years.
In 2019, Turkey has been the 31. biggest exporter in the World. The top 3 exporters have been, China, USA, and Germany. Turkey has exported products with a total value of 171 Billion USD in 2019, which was around 168 Billion $ in 2018, and 157 Bn $ in the year 2017.
In 2001, Turkey was a country who had an export value of only USD 31 Bn that represents a growth of almost 5,5 times in the last 18 years. However, most of this growth in exports of Turkey mostly has taken place between 2001 and 2008 years. In 2008 the value of total exported products of Turkey was USD 132 Billion.
In this article, we will give more details on Turkey’s top exports, export-import partners, top export products of Turkey and top import products.
TURKEY’S EXPORTS BETWEEN 2001-2020
Turkey’s exports has grown drmatically between 2001 and 2008. In 2008 The world suffered a financial crisis, so the export values have been seriously affected. In the below table you can see the total export values of Turkey starting from 2001, and top 3 export markets for Turkey in those years, and also export growth rates at the right column which shows the growth rate from previous year.
As can be seen from the table, Germany has always been the top export country for Turkish export products. Second and third places interchanged between USA, UK, Italy, Iraq, and France.
When we look at the last year, 2019, the top 5 countries who import from Turkey are; Germany ( 15,38 Bn USD), United Kingdom ( 10,85 Bn USD), Italy ( 9,28 Bn USD ), Iraq ( 8,97 Bn USD ), and USA ( 8,0 Bn USD).
Below graph shows values and trend of Turkey’s exports ( Billion USD ) between years 2001 ans 2019.

The table shows the export values of Turkey between 2001 and 2019 years, giving also top 3 importing countries from Turkey. Also included export value growth rate when compared to previous year.
Year | Export Value ( Billion $) | Growth Rate From Previous Year (%) | #1 Importing Country | #2 Importing Country | #3 Importing Country |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 31,3 | Germany | USA | Italy | |
2002 | 35,7 | 14 | Germany | USA | UK |
2003 | 47,2 | 32 | Germany | USA | UK |
2004 | 63,1 | 34 | Germany | UK | USA |
2005 | 73,4 | 16 | Germany | UK | Italy |
2006 | 85,5 | 16 | Germany | UK | Italy |
2007 | 107,2 | 25 | Germany | UK | Italy |
2008 | 132,0 | 23 | Germany | UK | Italy |
2009 | 102,1 | -23 | Germany | France | UK |
2010 | 113,8 | 11 | Germany | UK | Italy |
2011 | 134,9 | 18 | Germany | Iraq | UK |
2012 | 152,5 | 13 | Germany | Iraq | UK |
2013 | 151,8 | 0 | Germany | Iraq | UK |
2014 | 157,6 | 4 | Germany | Iraq | UK |
2015 | 143,8 | -9 | Germany | UK | Iraq |
2016 | 142,6 | -1 | Germany | UK | Iraq |
2017 | 156,9 | 10 | Germany | UK | Iraq |
2018 | 167,9 | 7 | Germany | UK | Italy |
2019 | 171,0 | 2 | Germany | UK | Italy |
TURKEY’S TOP EXPORT COUNTRIES
Which countries import from Turkey?
Turkey exported products with a total value of 171 Billion USD in 2019. The largest share of these exports have been made to European countries.
The top 10 importing countries almost got a share of 50% in Turkey’s total exports. Germany alone, as the top importing country of Turkish goods, had a share of 9%.
Below graph shows Turkey’s export values to top 2 importers, Germany and UK, between 2001 and 2019.
The table below shows top 20 export markets of Turkey in 2019.
Importing Country | Value exported in 2019 (USD Billion) | Share in Turkey's exports (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Germany | 15,38 | 9 |
2 | United Kingdom | 10,86 | 6,3 |
3 | Italy | 9,28 | 5,4 |
4 | Iraq | 8,97 | 5,2 |
5 | USA | 8,04 | 4,7 |
6 | France | 7,64 | 4,5 |
7 | Spain | 7,64 | 4,5 |
8 | Netherlands | 5,41 | 3,2 |
9 | Israel | 4,35 | 2,5 |
10 | Russian Federation | 3,85 | 2,3 |
11 | Romania | 3,83 | 2,2 |
12 | United Arab Emirates | 3,51 | 2,1 |
13 | Egypt | 3,31 | 1,9 |
14 | Poland | 3,30 | 1,9 |
15 | Belgium | 3,23 | 1,9 |
16 | Saudi Arabia | 3,18 | 1,9 |
17 | China | 2,58 | 1,5 |
18 | Bulgaria | 2,52 | 1,5 |
19 | Morocco | 2,29 | 1,3 |
20 | Iran | 2,26 | 1,3 |
Top 8 importing countries from Turkey and their shares in Turkey’s export values in 2019.
The top 8 importing countries import 42,8% of Turkish exports. Only Iraq and USA are the top importing countries among those out of Europe.
TOP EXPORT PRODUCTS OF TURKEY IN 2019: TOP TURKISH EXPORT PRODUCTS
These are the top export product groups of Turkish manufacturers and suppliers in 2019.
The table shows the top 20 product categories exported by Turkey along with values recorded in 2019. This will give an overview of Turkey’s main industries. Vehicles, mainly cars, are the number one export product of Turkey. Then comes Machinery, Iron and steel products, and clothing/apparel items.
Furniture, Carpets (Area Rugs), Wheat Flour, Plastics, Rubber Items, Aluminum products, and edible fruits and nuts are some of other main products supplied by Turkish companies.
HS Code 2 Digits | Product Group | Exported Value in 2019 ( Billion USD) | Ranking in World Exports |
---|---|---|---|
87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 25,56 | 18 |
84 | Machinery, mechanical appliances, nuclear reactors, boilers; parts thereof | 16,45 | 27 |
72 | Iron and steel | 9,93 | 12 |
61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted | 9,08 | 6 |
85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 8,72 | 33 |
71 | Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal, and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin | 7,32 | 20 |
27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 6,99 | 45 |
73 | Articles of iron or steel | 6,48 | 15 |
62 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted | 6,45 | 9 |
39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 6,15 | 24 |
08 | Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons | 4,17 | 7 |
94 | Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated signs, illuminated nameplates and the like; prefabricated buildings | 3,48 | 14 |
76 | Aluminium and articles thereof | 3,10 | 19 |
40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 2,82 | 21 |
99 | Commodities not elsewhere specified | 2,76 | 24 |
25 | Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement | 2,73 | 2 |
57 | Carpets and other textile floor coverings | 2,53 | 2 |
63 | Other made-up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags | 2,01 | 6 |
19 | Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products | 1,87 | 14 |
20 | Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants | 1,80 | 12 |
When we look at the more specific products which was exported by Turkey in 2019, at the level of 6 digit tariff, we see a more detailed picture.
- Turkish Jewellry
- Cars and other vehicles,
- Medium oils and preperations
- Steel – Iron bars and Rods ( Turkey is #1 exporter of this product in the World)
- Carpets ( Turkey is #1 exporter of this product in the World)
- Clothing
- Hazelnut / Filbert ( Turkey is #1 exporter of this product in the World)
- Wheat Flour ( Turkey is #1 exporter of this product in the World)
- Cables and Wires
- Washing Machines
- Televisions
are some main export products of Turkey.
Following table shows more than top 20 products and their export values in 2019, along with top 3 importing countries from Turkey for those products.
HS Code | Product Description | Exported Value in 2019 ( USD Billion ) | #1 Importing Country | #2 Importing Country | #3 Importing Country |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
711319 | Articles of jewellery and parts thereof, of precious metal other than silver, whether or not plated or clad with precious metal | 4,99 | Iraq | UAE | Germany |
870421 | Motor vehicles for the transport of goods, with compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine "diesel or semi-diesel engine" of a gross vehicle weight <= 5 t (excluding dumpers for off-highway use of subheading 8704.10 and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8705) | 4,18 | UK | Netherlands | Italy |
271019 | Medium oils and preparations, of petroleum or bituminous minerals, not containing biodiesel, n.e.s. | 3,97 | Malta | Cyprus | Italy |
999999 | Commodities not elsewhere specified | 2,76 | Oman | China | Greece |
870323 | Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars, with spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine of a cylinder capacity > 1.500 cm³ but <= 3.000 cm³ (excluding vehicles for the transport of persons on snow and other specially designed vehicles of subheading 8703.10) | 2,75 | USA | France | Israel |
721420 | Bars and rods, of iron or non-alloy steel, with indentations, ribs, groves or other deformations produced during the rolling process | 2,59 | Yemen | Israel | Singapore |
870322 | Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars, with spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine of a cylinder capacity > 1.000 cm³ but <= 1.500 cm³ (excluding vehicles for the transport of persons on snow and other specially designed vehicles of subheading 8703.10) | 2,56 | Italy | Germany | France |
870321 | Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars, with spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine of a cylinder capacity <= 1.000 cm³ (excluding vehicles for the transport of persons on snow and other specially designed vehicles of subheading 8703.10) | 2,56 | France | Germany | Italy |
271012 | Light oils and preparations, of petroleum or bituminous minerals which >= 90% by volume "incl. losses" distil at 210°C "ASTM D 86 method" (excluding containing biodiesel) | 2,08 | Egypt | Netherlands | Spain |
570242 | Carpets and other floor coverings, of man-made textile materials, woven, not tufted or flocked, of pile construction, made up (excluding Kelem, Schumacks, Karamanie and similar hand-woven rugs) | 2,02 | USA | Saudi Arabia | Germany |
710812 | Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought, for non-monetary purposes (excluding gold in powder form) | 1,99 | UK | UAE | Switzerland |
870210 | Motor vehicles for the transport of >= 10 persons, incl. driver, with compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine "diesel or semi-diesel engine" | 1,92 | France | Germany | Italy |
870332 | Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars, with compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine "diesel or semi-diesel engine" of a cylinder capacity > 1.500 cm³ but <= 2.500 cm³ | 1,83 | Slovenia | Germany | Italy |
610910 | T-shirts, singlets and other vests of cotton, knitted or crocheted | 1,75 | Germany | UK | Spain |
854449 | Electric conductors, for a voltage <= 1.000 V, insulated, not fitted with connectors, n.e.s. | 1,39 | UK | Iraq | Israel |
620462 | Women's or girls' trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts of cotton (excluding knitted or crocheted, panties and swimwear) | 1,37 | Spain | Germany | UK |
870331 | Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars, with compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine "diesel or semi-diesel engine" of a cylinder capacity <= 1.500 cm³ | 1,35 | France | Italy | Morocco |
870899 | Parts and accessories, for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles, n.e.s. | 1,32 | Germany | Italy | UK |
852872 | Reception apparatus for television, colour, whether or not incorporating radio-broadcast receivers or sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus, designed to incorporate a video display or screen | 1,29 | UK | Germany | France |
080222 | Fresh or dried hazelnuts or filberts "Corylus spp.", shelled | 1,24 | Italy | Germany | France |
611020 | Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, of cotton, knitted or crocheted (excluding wadded waistcoats) | 1,05 | Germany | Spain | UK |
840999 | Parts suitable for use solely or principally with compression-ignition internal combustion piston engine "diesel or semi-diesel engine", n.e.s. | 1,05 | Germany | UK | USA |
110100 | Wheat or meslin flour | 1,05 | Iraq | Yemen | Syria |
845011 | Fully-automatic household or laundry-type washing machines, of a dry linen capacity <= 6 kg | 0,97 | UK | Germany | France |
LIST OF EXPORT PRODUCTS FOR WHICH TURKEY IS THE NUMBER 1 EXPORTER IN THE WORLD
HS Code | Export Product Description ( Turkey is #1 exporter in the World for these products ) |
930390 | Firearms and similar devices which operate by the firing of an explosive charge (excluding sporting, hunting or target-shooting rifles, revolvers and pistols of heading 9302 and military weapons) |
030235 | Fresh or chilled Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Thunnus orientalis) |
030449 | Fresh or chilled fillets of fish, n.e.s. |
080222 | Fresh or dried hazelnuts or filberts “Corylus spp.”, shelled |
080420 | Fresh or dried figs |
080620 | Dried grapes |
080840 | Fresh quinces |
081310 | Dried apricots |
091099 | Spices (excluding pepper of the genus Piper, fruit of the genus Capsicum or of the genus Pimenta, vanilla, cinnamon, cinnamontree flowers, clove “wholefruit”, clove stems, nutmeg, mace, cardamoms, seeds of anise, badian, fennel, coriander, cumin and caraway, and juniper berries, ginger, saffron, turmeric “curcuma” and mixtures of various types of spices) |
110100 | Wheat or meslin flour |
120791 | Poppy seeds, whether or not broken |
190430 | Bulgur wheat in the form of worked grains, obtained by cooking hard wheat grains |
200190 | Vegetables, fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid (excluding cucumbers and gherkins) |
200819 | Nuts and other seeds, incl. mixtures, prepared or preserved (excluding prepared or preserved with vinegar, preserved with sugar but not laid in syrup, jams, fruit jellies, marmalades, fruit purée and pastes, obtained by cooking, and groundnuts) |
240110 | Tobacco, unstemmed or unstripped |
240311 | Water-pipe tobacco (excluding tobacco-free. See subheading note 1.) |
250610 | Quartz (excluding quartz sands) |
251310 | Pumice stone |
251512 | Marble and travertine, merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a square or rectangular shape |
252321 | White portland cement, whether or not artificially coloured |
252800 | Borates, natural, and concentrates thereof, whether or not calcined, and natural boric acids containing <= 85% of H3BO3 calculated on the dry weight (excluding borates separated from natural brine) |
252910 | Feldspar |
510129 | Degreased wool, non-carbonised, neither carded nor combed (excluding shorn wool) |
511300 | Woven fabrics of coarse animal hair or of horsehair (excluding fabrics for technical uses of heading 5911) |
520291 | Garnetted stock of cotton |
520299 | Cotton waste (excluding yarn waste, thread waste and garnetted stock) |
520420 | Cotton sewing thread, put up for retail sale |
540234 | Textured synthetic filament yarn of polypropylene (excluding sewing thread and yarn put up for retail sale) |
540259 | Synthetic filament yarn, incl. synthetic monofilament of < 67 decitex, single, with a twist of > 50 turns per metre (excluding sewing thread, yarn put up for retail sale, textured yarn and filament yarn of polyester, nylon or other polyamides) |
540269 | Multiple “folded” or cabled synthetic filament yarn, incl. synthetic monofilament of < 67 decitex (excluding sewing thread, yarn put up for retail sale, textured yarn and filament yarn of polyester, nylon or other polyamides) |
550931 | Single yarn containing >= 85% acrylic or modacrylic staple fibres by weight (excluding sewing thread and yarn put up for retail sale) |
551110 | Yarn containing >= 85% synthetic staple fibres by weight, put up for retail sale (excluding sewing thread) |
551120 | Yarn containing predominantly, but < 85% synthetic staple fibres by weight, put up for retail sale (excluding sewing thread) |
551643 | Woven fabrics containing predominantly, but < 85% artificial staple fibres by weight, mixed principally or solely with cotton, made of yarn of different colours |
551644 | Woven fabrics containing predominantly, but < 85% artificial staple fibres by weight, mixed principally or solely with cotton, printed |
570242 | Carpets and other floor coverings, of man-made textile materials, woven, not tufted or flocked, of pile construction, made up (excluding Kelem, Schumacks, Karamanie and similar hand-woven rugs) |
580219 | Terry towelling and similar woven terry fabrics, of cotton (excluding unbleached, narrow woven fabrics of heading 5806, carpets and other floor coverings) |
600521 | Unbleached or bleached cotton warp knit fabrics “incl. those made on galloon knitting machines”, of a width of > 30 cm (excluding those containing by weight >= 5% of elastomeric yarn or rubber thread, and pile fabrics, incl. “long pile”, looped pile fabrics, labels, badges and similar articles, and knitted or crocheted fabrics, impregnated, coated, covered or laminated) |
600522 | Dyed cotton warp knit fabrics “incl. those made on galloon knitting machines”, of a width of > 30 cm (excluding those containing by weight >= 5% of elastomeric yarn or rubber thread, and pile fabrics, incl. “long pile”, looped pile fabrics, labels, badges and similar articles, and knitted or crocheted fabrics, impregnated, coated, covered or laminated) |
610620 | Women’s or girls’ blouses, shirts and shirt-blouses of man-made fibres, knitted or crocheted (excluding T-shirts and vests) |
611211 | Track-suits of cotton, knitted or crocheted |
620891 | Women’s or girls’ singlets and other vests, briefs, panties, négligés, bathrobes, dressing gowns, housecoats and similar articles of cotton (excluding knitted or crocheted, slips, petticoats, nightdresses and pyjamas, brassières, girdles, corsets and similar articles) |
680221 | Marble, travertine and alabaster articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface (excluding with a completely or partly planed, sand-dressed, coarsely or finely ground or polished surface, tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802,10, setts, curbstones and flagstones) |
721420 | Bars and rods, of iron or non-alloy steel, with indentations, ribs, groves or other deformations produced during the rolling process |
721610 | U, I or H sections of iron or non-alloy steel, not further worked than hot-rolled, hot-drawn or extruded, of a height of < 80 mm |
721621 | L sections of iron or non-alloy steel, not further worked than hot-rolled, hot-drawn or extruded, of a height of < 80 mm |
721650 | Sections of iron or non-alloy steel, not further worked than hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded (excluding U, I, H, L or T sections) |
730539 | Tubes and pipes having circular cross-sections and an external diameter of > 406,4 mm, of iron or steel, welded (excluding products longitudinally welded or of a kind used for oil or gas pipelines or of a kind used in drilling for oil or gas) |
732219 | Radiators for central heating, non-electrically heated, and parts thereof, of iron other than cast iron or steel (excluding parts, elsewhere specified or included, and central-heating boilers) |
741300 | Stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and the like, of copper (excluding electrically insulated products) |
843780 | Machinery used in the milling industry or for the working of cereals or dried leguminous vegetables (excluding farm-type machinery, heat treatment equipment, centrifugal dryers, air filters and machines for cleaning, sorting or grading seed, grain or dried leguminous vegetables) |
880220 | Aeroplanes and other powered aircraft of an unladen weight <= 2000 kg (excluding helicopters and dirigibles) |
Resources and Tools:
- ITC Trademap ( For statistical data )
- Turkstat ( http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/)