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Turkey is a country surrounded by seas on three sides and rich in water resources. Shellfish, fish species, and soft seafood are the seafood found in Turkey. Thanks to the protein and omega-3 sources they contain, seafood is loved and consumed all over the world. Seafood sold as frozen, fresh, or canned are products with high added value. In addition to seafood, the number of state-supported fish farms is increasing in Turkey. Especially with the incentives for salmon, sea bass, and anchovy farming, drastic increases were seen in exports in 2021.

Export Increases to Double Digits

As the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic began to wane, there was liveliness in the seafood trade. Seafood production in Turkey increased by 19 percent compared to 2020 and reached 239 thousand tons with state support. If we look at the export data, it increased by 30 percent and reached 1 billion 376 million dollars. It is expected that production and exports will increase gradually with the studies of the Ministry, private sector investments, and awareness of hunters.

The Measures and Incentives Given by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry were Decisive

The support provided by the Ministry and environmentally sensitive production policies increased the yield of seafood. In addition, production increased with the effect of the temporary stop decisions for hunting. The Ministry increased the export figures by supporting the production of fish species that are most sensitive to global climate change. Turkey has expanded the fields of fisheries products by establishing public-private partnerships and receiving support from academicians specialized in fisheries at universities. Thus, the production of fish with high added value was increased, increasing net export figures.

Investments in Turkish Salmon Increase

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has recently carried out serious efforts to brand Turkish salmon. Thanks to the ministry's work that has been supporting Turkish salmon production for 2 years, there has been a serious increase in its production. In 2021, salmon production increased by 122% compared to the previous year and reached 40 thousand tons. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry also plans to continue the promotion and marketing activities of Turkish salmon in the domestic and foreign markets.

Countries to Which Turkey Exports the Most Seafood

Turkey exported seafood to a total of 106 countries in 2021. Most of the exports were made to European Union countries. Exports to the European Union amounted to 55% of total exports. The prominent countries in Turkey's aquaculture exports were Russia with 217 million dollars and Italy with 162 million dollars. These countries were followed by England with 141 million dollars, the Netherlands with 124 million dollars, and Japan with 103 million dollars. While Turkey mostly sold sea bass to England, it exported sea bream and sea bass to Italy, salmon to Russia, and tuna to Japan.

While Anchovies Are Prominent in Fishing, Sea Bass Ranks First in Fish Farming

According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), aquaculture production reached 799 thousand 851 tons in 2021 with an increase of 1.8% compared to the previous year. 41% of the fishery products were obtained through fishing, while 59% were produced through aquaculture. While the production by fishing was 328 thousand 165 tons in 2021, the production by aquaculture was 471 thousand 686 tons.

Anchovy was the most caught fish species in fishing. A total of 151.6 thousand tons of anchovy were caught in 2021. Anchovy was followed by sprat with 28 thousand tons and horse mackerel with 19.6 thousand tons. The main fish species grown were trout with 135 thousand 732 tons in inland waters. The most grown fish in the seas was sea bass with 155 thousand 151 tons and sea bream with 133 thousand 476 tons. Moreover, Turkey left Greece behind in sea bass and sea bream production and ranked first in the world.

Turkey Targets 1 Billion 750 Million Dollars of Export in 2022

The increased fish consumption with the Covid 19 epidemic enabled Turkey to increase its production. Exporting more than 1 billion dollars to 106 countries in 2021, Turkey wants to exceed this figure in 2022. Turkey's target for 2022 is to export at least 1 billion 750 million dollars. While the average export price of seafood was $5.23 per kilogram in 2020, it increased by 12% to $5.84 per kilogram in 2021. This increase will affect the private sector and state investments in 2022.

Top Quality Products from Turkey to the World

We are aware of the richness of seafood in Turkey, which is surrounded by seas on three sides. Turkish Goods delivers the best quality products all over the world, and can also easily deliver seafood to you. We are committed to delivering the seafood to you using the cold chain method as soon as possible.

TUIK announced the foreign trade data for April. According to these data, Turkey's exports increased by 24.6 percent in April compared to the same month of the previous year. On the other hand, it is also among the data that imports increased by 35 percent in 2022. In April, Turkey's exports totaled 23 billion 368 million dollars. The imports were 29 billion 480 million dollars, which was noteworthy.

At a news conference with TIM President Ismail Gülle at the Ministry of Commerce Conference Hall, Minister Mehmet Muş discussed the April figures. Despite recent problematic developments in the global economy, he emphasized Turkey's export success. After 2021, Mehmet Muş highlighted the rising values in the first four months of 2022. He stated Turkey's export performance continues to accelerate.

Mehmet Muş proceeded with the following. "The biggest monthly export figure of all time is $23.4 billion. In the first three months of 2022, we announced the highest monthly results ever." 

Muş brought emphasis to the 29th of April when explaining the significance of April exports from a different standpoint. He stated, "Our export of 1 billion 956 million dollars, which we realized on April 29, is extremely valuable since it is the greatest export made in a single day in the Republic's history." 

Based on the words of Minister Muş, it cannot be denied that even the month of April alone contributes significantly to exports.

"We will increase our economic growth even further."

According to the general trade system, Turkey's exports were 83 billion 531 million dollars from January to April 2022, up 21.6 percent over the same time the previous year. Imports, on the other hand, grew by 40.2 percent and reached 116 billion 85 million dollars.

Exports, excluding energy products and non-monetary gold, increased by 22.9% in April and rose to 21 billion 869 million dollars. Imports, excluding energy products and non-monetary gold, increased by 16.4% and rose to 21 billion 223 million dollars. 

Muş emphasized the importance of the events on the global agenda in this situation, stating that Turkey is a reliable supplier in any crisis. "Despite all of these negatives in energy costs," he said, "when we look at the data, we can say that our country displayed a very high export performance compared to the same period last year."

Evaluating exports and imports in general, Muş said, "We will produce more, we will work harder and we will increase our economic growth even further."

Most Exported Country: Germany

Turkey exported the most to Germany, according to the evaluations based on exports. While exports to Germany are currently valued at $2 billion 2 million, this amount is likely to rise steadily. The economic negotiations that have been going on for years and the exchanges between the two countries, which have always continued, support this thesis.

Turkey's second-largest export destination, behind Germany, is the United States, with 1 billion 778 million dollars. The United Kingdom, with 1 billion 168 million dollars, and Italy, with 1 billion 124 million dollars, are the next highest importing countries. With 1 billion 86 million dollars, Iraq is the last country in the top five.

Exports to the first 5 countries accounted for 30.6% of total exports.

"Exports will be the most important factor in Turkey's economic growth."

The range of products and groups promotes exports, in addition to the export sector's contribution to Turkey's economic development. Negative repercussions such as global crises and conflicts drive countries to search for more dependable producers of high-quality goods. Turkey, as Muş underlined, is a country that inspires trust by not decreasing production. 

In this lane, it is necessary to take a look at the product groups and sectors to which Turkey exports the most.

In April, according to the data published, the highest export was realized in the Raw Material (Intermediate Goods) group with an increase of 30.7% with 12 billion 426 million dollars. This group was followed by Consumer Goods, which reached 8 billion 70 million dollars with an increase of 12.7 percent. In the third place is Investment (Capital) Goods, which increased by 40.6% and reached 2 billion 717 million dollars.

In April, the Manufacturing Industry achieved a return of 22 billion 198 million dollars with 95% in the share of exports by sectors. The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries sector achieved a gain of 569 million dollars with 2.4%. Finally, the Mining and Quarrying sector took its place in the export share with 2% and 462 million dollars.

Expressing that they are in close communication with the countries, Muş stated that they have also taken steps in transit passages on land roads. The fact that Turkey is a country that provides support in the field of production is also visible in group and sector-based evaluations.

Every breakthrough will strengthen the link between exports and economic growth. Muş stated,  "Exports will be the most important factor in Turkey's economic growth." And he added, "And we will improve the current growth climate."

In recent years, problems were experienced in supply all over the world. Lack of raw materials and regional instability have affected the industrial production of the countries. Turkey, on the other hand, managed to stay out of these exceptional situations. Turkey has increased its industrial production with its role as a bridge between Asia and Europe, being a balancing country in international politics, and abundant raw materials and manpower. Capturing the largest export figures in the country's history in 2021, Turkey achieved similar results in the first quarter of 2022. So, what do the first-quarter data for 2022 industrial production in Turkey tell us?

Incidents Causing Instability in the World Could not Affect Turkey

There have been some incidents that have caused instability in both trade and industrial production in the world recently. Industrial production, which entered the recovery period after the Covid-19 epidemic, is facing a new crisis. This is due to the war between Russia and Ukraine and the rise in raw material and energy prices. 

In addition to these, cancellations due to regional problems and conflicts also force countries. Just at this point, Turkey overcame the problems by increasing its market diversity. Turkey dealt with this problem by turning to alternative options in raw materials and energy. Moreover, Turkey focused on other countries instead of countries that it could not trade with due to regional confusion. Increasing market diversity did not hinder industrial production, but also increased industry export figures to record levels in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.

Record Numbers Reached in Exports

2021 was a year in which Turkey made record exports in industry and other sectors. In the first quarter of 2022, exports continued unabated. The export of 17 billion 741 million dollars in April was the highest export of all time on a monthly basis. Furthermore, industrial exports increased by 25.5% compared to the previous year. The share of foreign sales in total exports was recorded as 75.9%.

In Which Sectors were the Most Exports Made?

Knowing the sectoral distributions as well as exports gives various clues to understanding the Turkish economy. In April 2022, textile and raw materials exported 995 million 49 thousand dollars. Chemical materials, and products exported 3 billion 314 million dollars, and ready-made clothing and apparel 2 billion 41 million dollars. Especially in recent years, significant increases in the chemical industry and textile sector draw attention. 

Moreover, investments in the aerospace and defense industry triggered an increase in exports in the electricity and metal industries. Electricity and electronics exported 1 billion 401 million dollars and ferrous and non-ferrous metals 1 billion 501 million dollars. On the other hand, cement, glass ceramics, and earthenware products achieved a record export of 569 million 249 thousand dollars. Finally, the air conditioning industry exported 637 million 272 thousand dollars.

The increase in export rates, as well as export amounts, provides important data. In April 2022, compared to the same period of the previous year, exports increased by 13.4 percent in textiles and raw materials. It also increased by 53 percent in chemical materials and products. In addition, ready-made clothing and apparel increased by 25.6 percent, electricity and electronics by 12 percent, and ferrous and non-ferrous metals by 43.2 percent. Cement, glass ceramics, and earthenware products increased by 41.6 percent, and the air conditioning industry increased by 13.6%.

The Most Exports in the Industrial Sector were Made to European Countries

Most exports of industrial products were made to European Union countries, the United Kingdom, and the USA. The country that stood out the most in terms of the number of sectors was Germany. The highest exports were made to Germany with 352 million 868 thousand dollars for ready-made clothing and apparel, 216 million 405 thousand dollars for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and 65 million 940 thousand dollars for the air conditioning industry. In the textile sector, most exports were made to Italy. Italy imported a total of 103 million 556 thousand dollars of textile and raw material products from Turkey.

The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the USA came to the fore in the chemical products, electrical and electronics sectors, and the glass, cement, and ceramics sectors, respectively. Turkey made exports of 258 million 348 thousand dollars in chemical substances and products to the Netherlands. The amount of exports made to the United Kingdom in the electrical and electronics sector was 141 million 808 thousand dollars. Cement, glass, ceramics, and soil products were exported to the USA for 97 million 114 thousand dollars.

Value Added Products from Turkey to the World

Providing a wide range of products from industrial products to agricultural products and textiles, Turkish Goods continues to be a pioneer in the sector. Making available products to its suppliers wherever they are in the world with the motto "From Turkey to the World", Turkish Goods is an unrivaled service provider in this field. It is the right address for professional trade with its price offer within 48 hours and its team providing service in 13 languages.

The quarterly growth rates of countries can give various clues about their economies. Turkey is a country that shows continuous growth among developing countries in general. Turkey had achieved a growth momentum even when the global epidemic was effective. As a result, this continuity was also reflected in the growth figures for 2022. Growing 7.3% in the first quarter of 2022, Turkey achieved great success. So, what are the sectoral data on growth figures?

First Quarter Growth Data Announced

Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) announced the gross domestic product (GDP) data covering the period from January to March 2022. According to the data, the Turkish economy grew by 7.3 percent in the first quarter of 2022. With this growth rate, Turkey has left many countries in the world behind.

According to the production method, GDP at current prices increased by 79.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. Accordingly, the first quarter value of GDP in US dollars was 179 billion 800 million dollars.

Growth in Finance Sector and Insurance Activities Draws Attention in the First Quarter of 2022

Although there is a growth in all sectors in general, the growth in the finance sector and insurance activities stands out in 2022. On a sectoral basis, finance and insurance activities grew by 24.2%, and information and communication activities by 16.8%. The increase in national and international foreign investments in the financial sector can also be considered the main factor in growth. The R&D studies carried out by the Turkish Space Agency and other public institutions have increased their investments in information and communication.

On the other hand, services increased by 14.9 percent, professional, administrative, and support service activities increased by 8.9 percent, industry by 7.4 percent, and other service activities by 6.8 percent. This increase is expected to continue with public services through municipalities and the integration of private sectors into service sectors.

Real estate activities increased by 5.4 percent, public administration, education, human health, and social service activities increased by 5.2 percent, and agriculture by 0.9 percent. Particularly, state support in the field of real estate and developing metropolitan cities are effective in increasing investments.

Treasury and Finance Minister Says: “Balanced Growth” Will Continue

After the first-quarter growth figures, Nurettin Nebati, the Minister of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Turkey, made a statement. Nebati said that Turkey has positively differentiated from other countries thanks to its policies that support production. According to Nebati, despite the increase in input costs due to events on a global scale, Turkey's growth increased. The Minister shared the following data regarding the growth figures:

“In the first quarter, the contribution of domestic demand to growth was 3.9 percent, while net foreign demand contributed 3.5 percent to growth. Machinery and equipment investments, which are important in terms of strengthening production capacity, increased by 10.5 percent. The balanced growth composition that took place since the beginning of 2021 continued in the first quarter of 2022.”

Here, the fact that the domestic and foreign markets are close to each other stands out to ensure balanced growth.

Resident Household Consumption Increased

The increase in household consumption is important to ensure the continuity of domestic and foreign demand. In 2022, household expenditures increased by about 20% compared to the previous year. According to the data, consumption expenditures of resident households increased by 19.5 percent as a chained volume index. On the other hand, the final consumption expenditures of the government increased by 0.9 percent. Moreover, the gross fixed capital formation increased by 1.1 percent.  

Exports of Goods, Services and Compensation of Employees Also Increased in the First Quarter of 2022

Exports of goods and services increased by 16.8 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter of the previous year. On the other hand, wages for labor increased significantly. Labor payments increased by 59.7 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Net operating surplus/mixed income increased by 88.1 percent. The added value of labor payments in GDP was 31.5%.

Finally, economists were expecting a growth rate of 7.2% for Turkey in the first quarter of the year. With 7.3%, this rate has already been exceeded. If this momentum is maintained, overall growth is expected to exceed 2021 in 2022.

We Contribute to the Growth of the Country with the Sectors We Operate

As Turkish Goods, we contribute positively to Turkey's economy. We deliver high-value-added products from Turkey to our partners in the fields in which we operate, from agriculture, industry, and manufacturing sectors to textiles. We are branding at the global level by turning to the constantly developing sectors in Turkey. 

Turkey’s Minister of Trade Mehmet Muş revealed the new export figures for the month of April. Turkey broke the export record of all time in April. Displaying a 24,6% increase compared to the same month of the previous year, exports reached $23,4B.

Trade Minister Mehmet Muş spoke at an event where Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) president İsmail Gülle was also present. Muş touched upon the record inflation rates in the US, mentioning that negative forecasts were attracting attention as well as growth in the world trade.

Despite the negativities dominating the global economy, Turkey has been successfully continuing its exports. Based on the export data published, Turkey continues to display success and growth in the first four months of 2022, as a continuation of its success in 2021.

Muş revealed Turkey’s export data in April. “The exports reached $23,4B with a 24,6% increase in April compared to the same month of the previous year. This figure is the highest export figure of all time. Similarly, we revealed the record-breaking monthly figures in the past three months of 2022. Thus, the growth is continuing in April as it was in the previous months.” He concluded.

However, the export figure in April is not the only record-breaking figure the Trade Minister revealed. According to Muş, Turkey recorded its highest daily export figure on the 29^th of April. On 29 April, Turkey exported products worth 1 billion 956 million dollars.

In the month of April, the export volume of Turkey also increased significantly. Muş expressed that the export volume of Turkey had increased 30,1% compared to the previous year. With this increase, Turkey’s export volume reached 52,8 billion dollars.

Energy Prices in the World Affected Turkey’s Import Figures

In addition to the export figures of Turkey, Trade Minister Muş also touched on the import figures of Turkey. According to Muş, the import figures of Turkey increased by 35%, reaching 29,5 billion dollars. The energy sector plays an important role in the imports of Turkey with a share of 7,7 billion dollars. Muş put emphasis on the import figures saying, “When the energy sector is excluded, export to import coverage ratio is over 100%.”

Drawing attention to the increase in imports in the energy sector, Muş explained the reasoning behind the increase. According to Muş, 20,7 billion dollars of 33,2 billion dollars’ worth of imports in the January-April period of 2022 is due to the increase in the imports in the energy sector. This increase is especially due to the increase in gas and crude oil imports.

Highlighting the energy price increase in the world due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Muş stated that this also had affected Turkey’s imports. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Europe’s efforts in decreasing their dependency on Russia in terms of energy and Russia’s response to this have all been affecting the prices. According to Muş, this also brings about the risk of permanent high prices and fluctuation of prices. Therefore, Muş highlighted that the increase in the import figures of Turkey was due to the increase in the energy prices in the world.

New Records Are Expected in Turkey’s Exports in 2022

The increase in the export figures in the first months of 2022 is expected to continue in the upcoming months. Trade Minister Muş emphasized that they believed new export records would be broken. Muş added, “Especially the pandemic proved Turkey to be a trusted supplier. Turkey is an important production base with its strong production infrastructure.” Muş also said that Turkey was taking firm steps toward the 250-billion-dollar export target expected in 2022.

Trade Minister Muş also added that they would support the establishments that were involved in exports in the service sector. According to Muş, the annual expenses of these establishments such as access to market, registration, fair organizations, advertisement and marketing would be supported with up to 9,6 million Turkish liras. Muş highlighted that they were going to provide incentives to 9 different sectors including education, logistics and transportation, health and sports tourism, management consultation and many more. With these new incentives, Turkey is expected to exceed the export target of 68 billion dollars in the service sector.

Turkish Goods Has an Important Share in Turkey’s Exports

With its vast network of trusted suppliers, Turkish Goods provides high-quality products to its partners around the world. Turkish Goods is aware of Turkey’s strong production infrastructures. Thus, Turkish Goods brings together the producers and suppliers of Turkey with importers from all around the world.

Offering the best prices for over 1000 products, Turkish Goods takes care of the entire import process with its professional team to make everything seamless and safe for all parties involved. Therefore, Turkish Goods has an important role in the exports of Turkey. You can also safely import any product from Turkey via Turkish Goods.

Apricots are mainly grown in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, in Europe and Asia. Though, Turkey has become a hallmark in apricot production. Turkey is one of the leading countries in apricot production. Turkey's export rates of apricots and apricot products such as dried apricots and apricot kernels have always been remarkable. As the first quarter of the year came to an end, the figures for apricot and apricot kernel exports were announced. The figures show that Turkey is on the rise again. 

In Malatya, the revenues from the registered exports of apricot kernels increased more than 2 times in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year. It reached 5 million 198 thousand dollars. Chairman of Malatya Commodity Exchange, Ramazan Özcan spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA). He said that both fruits and kernels of apricot are export products that bring foreign exchange to the country. This increase shows the importance of apricot production in Turkey and the extent to which it can contribute to the country's exports. 

Özcan explained that the apricot kernels were exported in parallel with the dried apricots in the city. "The export of apricot kernels is going fast. In the first quarter of this year, we exported 1220 tons of kernels and brought an income of 5 million 198 thousand dollars to the country's economy. As for apricots, export revenues have increased more than 2 times compared to the same period last year” he said.

Most Exports Were to Germany

Özcan expressed that 2 million 426 thousand dollars were obtained in return for 942 tons of exports in the same period of last year. "While our average export per ton in the first quarter of last year was 2 thousand 585 dollars, our average export in the same period this year was 4 thousand 260 dollars. This is a very important thing, a development. Our exports have increased in dollar terms. The three countries to which we export the most apricot kernels are Germany, Italy, and China. Last year we exported 2 thousand 30 tons to Germany, 1790 tons to Italy, and 290 tons to China.”

Özcan also recalled that there was a global crisis in the food industry in the world and explained that this had an impact on Turkey. Özcan explained that it was expected that exports of apricot kernels would continue in May and June as they had the previous year. He added that an increase in revenue was expected even if the export volume would be the same.

Özcan indicated that during the night of April 13-14, there had been an agricultural frost that had caused significant damage to apricots. This would lead to a significant drop in yield. He explained that they would expect to see how this would affect core prices and export figures in the next few months.

A Brand in Apricot and Apricot Kernel Production: Turkey

Apricots, both as a fruit and seed, have many health benefits. From protecting the digestive system to improving eyesight, it is one of the most important fruits recommended by doctors. In addition, apricots are sweet fruits used in many dishes around the world. Both in main dishes and desserts, they are very effective in cooking. Apricot kernels are also very popular as a snack around the world. They are rich in vitamins and therefore known to strengthen the immune system. For both children and adults, they are one of the healthiest snacks in the world. 

Turkey has been one of the leading countries in apricot production over the years. Apricot production is carried out in Turkey on an average of 128 thousand hectares of land. In particular, Malatya, which has a 65% share in apricot cultivation area, ranks first with an average of 82 thousand hectares. In recent years, 847 thousand tons of fresh apricots were grown in Turkey. This makes Turkey a brand of quality and productivity of apricot production around the world. 

High-Quality Apricot Kernels from Turkey to Every Corner of the World

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