All-Time Highest Exports in the History of the Republic of Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made critical statements regarding the foreign trade figures and export records of 2022 in the first days of 2023. According to President Erdogan's statements, Turkey grew by 11.4% in 2021 alone, reaching the best level of the last 50 years. On the other hand, exports contributed 5.3 points to this historical growth rate. In 2022, Turkey's share of global exports exceeded 1% for the first time. At a time when the world, including developed countries, was experiencing economic crises due to the effect of the pandemic, Turkey recorded a growth of 6.2% in the three quarters of 2022. In addition, more than half of this growth came from exports of goods and services.

Turkey is a Country that Turns Crises into Opportunities

Erdogan said, "Our exports continue to be the driving force of our producing economy." In addition, the Turkish economy gained 3.5 million additional employment in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2022. The contribution of the industrial sector to the employment level has exceeded one million. These figures are proof that Turkey's strong performance in production and exports has a positive impact on the Turkish economy. President Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey has become a country that manages crises and even turns crises into opportunities.

Turkey Broke Export Record of All Time

President Erdogan said, “our exports have reached today's levels by breaking record after record every month. Despite the global adversities, exports in 2022 increased by 12.9% compared to the previous year and amounted to 254.2 billion dollars. This figure is a record in the history of the Republic of Turkey. Our goal is to make Turkey one of the top 10 exporting countries in the world."

Exported to 197 Countries and Regions

In Turkey, 33,523 companies exported goods in 2022. In addition, as of January-November 2022, the number of new companies joining the export family exceeded 9,700. The number of provinces exporting over one billion dollars increased from 5 to 24. In this way, no province in Turkey does not export. 

Turkey's most important trade partner is the EU. Exports to EU countries increased by 12% in 2022. In addition, Turkey's exports increased by 19.3% to Near and Middle Eastern countries, 17.1% to North American countries, 16% to non-EU European countries, and 9.8% to the North African region. Finally, Turkey exported to 197 countries and regions in 2022. 

Sectors with the Highest Exports

Chemical and chemical products became the export champion of 2022 with exports worth $33.5 billion. The automotive industry sector ranked second with $31 billion. Finally, ready-to-wear clothing and apparel ranked third with $21.2 billion.

Countries with the Most Exports

The top five countries to which Turkey exported the most in 2022 were Germany, the USA, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and Italy, respectively. Furthermore, the countries with the highest increase in exports are Russia, Iraq, the USA, Germany, and Romania, respectively. In 2022, Turkey increased its exports to 162 countries, while breaking export records in 108 countries. The number of countries with exports of over 1 billion dollars reached 52. In addition, while 16 sectors broke export records, the exports of 23 sectors exceeded the 1 billion dollar limit.