Foreign Trade Statistics, April 2019

Exports increased by 4.6% while imports decreased by 15.1%

According to the provisional data, produced with the cooperation of the Turkish Statistical Institute and the Ministry of Trade, in April 2019; exports were 14 billion 480 million dollars with a 4.6%  increase and imports were 17 billion 462 million dollars  with a 15.1% decrease  compared with April 2018.

Foreign trade deficit decreased by 55.6%  

In April 2019 foreign trade deficit was 2 billion 982 million dollars with a 55.6% decrease compared with April 2018. In April 2019, exports coverage imports was 82.9% while it was 67.4% in April 2018.

Seasonally and calendar adjusted exports decreased by 3.8%

Seasonally and calendar adjusted exports and imports decreased by 3.8% and 2.4%, respectively compared with previous month. Calendar adjusted exports  increased by 1.5% while imports decreased by 17.9% compared with April 2018.

The main partner for exports was Germany

In April 2019, the main partner country for exports was Germany with 1 billion 243 million dollars. The country was followed by the United Kingdom with 819 million dollars, Italy with 777 million dollars and Iraq with 754 million dollars. The top country for Turkey’s imports was Russia with 1 billion 861 million dollars. The country  was  followed by China with 1 billion 458 million dollars, Germany with 1 billion 454 million dollars and USA with 925 million dollars.

Ratio of high-tech products in manufacturing industries exports was 3.2%

Foreign trade by technology intensity covers the manufacturing industries’ products in classification of  ISIC Rev.3. According to the ISIC Rev.3, the ratio of manufacturing industries products in total exports was 95% in April. The ratio of high-technology products in manufacturing industries exports was 3.2%. The ratio of manufacturing industries’ products in total imports was 75.5%. The ratio of high-technology products in manufacturing industries imports  was 12.9% in April 2019.

According to general trade system exports were 15 billion 267 million dollars 

According to the general trade system in April 2019, exports were 15 billion 267 million dollars with a 5.3% increase and imports were 18 billion 73 million dollars  with a 14.8% decrease compared with April 2018. Exports coverage imports was 84.5% in April 2019.

The next release on this subject will be on June 28, 2019.

EXPLANATIONS

Foreign trade statistics are calculated by using two different trading systems, namely the special trade system and the general trade system. In the special trade system, data of customs warehouses and free zones are not included in statistics. However, goods entering in or leaving from the free circulation area of a country are covered. In the special trade system, free zones and customs warehouses are not included in the statistical region of that country. For this reason, goods sent from free zones and warehouses to the country and goods sent from the country to free zones and customs warehouses are covered in the calculations but trade between these regions and third countries aren’t covered in the calculations. In the general trade system, goods entering in or leaving from economic area of the country are covered in statistics. In the general trade system, goods entering in free zones, customs warehouses and free circulation area which constitute the economic area of the country or leaving from these areas are covered in the calculations.

Turkish Statistical Institute will continue to publish detailed foreign trade statistics according to the special trade system. In addition, annual and monthly total foreign trade statistics by the general trade system will be given in a bulletin table and in a statistical table including 2013-2019 period.