Trade Minister Bolat unveils Türkiye's May trade data with record monthly exports
Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said May exports reached a record monthly $23.1 billion while the foreign trade deficit narrowed to $6.4 billion. Automotive led sector rankings with $3.2 billion in shipments.
TRT Haber Ekonomi · TRT HaberSpeaking at a news conference in Ankara, Bolat said May exports rose 8.1% year-on-year. 'These figures reflect the resilience of our production base and our market-diversification strategy,' the minister said. Imports stood at $29.5 billion, with the energy bill the single biggest item at $6.8 billion.
Turkish Exporters Assembly chair Mustafa Gültepe said automotive accounted for 14% of May shipments at $3.2 billion, with chemicals second at $2.8 billion. Exports to the EU rose 11%, and a stable lira gave traders fiscal breathing room. Berenberg analyst Carsten Hesse said: 'The data show export unit prices are also firming, which means raw-material cost pressure is easing.'
For central-bank policy, the data support the case for gradual normalisation. Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek separately said the year-end current-account-deficit forecast had been revised down to 2.1% of GDP. The annual export target of $280 billion is maintained. This is not investment advice.
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