Turkiye’s exports to Libya increased by 3.3% in January-October 2022 compared to the same period of the previous year, exceeding $2 billion.
Turkiye’s exports in October increased by 3% compared to the same period of the previous year and amounted to $21.3 billion. Turkiye’s exports in the January-October period increased by 15% and reached $209.5 billion.
Turkiye’s exports to Libya increased by 3.3% in the 10 months of this year, reaching $2 billion 24 million.
Grain, pulses, oilseeds and their products became the first sector in Turkiye’s exports to Libya, with an increase of 50.5% and $296.7 million in January-October 2022 compared to the same period of the previous year.
The grain, pulses, oilseeds and products sector was followed by furniture, paper and forest products with $249 million, chemicals and products with $243 million, and ready-made clothing and apparel with $236 million.
In Turkiye’s exports to Libya, olive and olive oil was the sector with the highest increase in exports in 10 months of the year. Olive and olive oil exports, which exceeded $4 million with an increase of 173.4% compared to January-October 2021, were followed by tobacco. Tobacco exports increased by 107.5% in the 10 months of this year, amounting to $8.6 million.
“I think we can take more part in exports to Libya”
DEIK Turkiye-Libya Business Council President Murtaza Karanfil said that $2 billion were exported to Libya in the 10 months of this year, that there is a greater export potential in Libya, and that they aim to raise this number, which is satisfactory for now, to a higher level.
Karanfil emphasized that besides grain and pulses products, furniture, textiles and ready-made clothing came to the fore in the 10-month export to Libya, and said:
“Actually, we have exports to Libya in almost every sector. What needs to be done here is to increase the volume. I think that we can take more part in exports to Libya in sectors where we are strong as a country. For example, the iron and steel sector. It is a sector in which we are strong as a country.
Last year, Libya’s iron and steel imports from all countries amounted to $255 million. As a country, we exported $96 million of iron and steel, that is, in 2021, Turkiye met 40% of Libya’s total iron and steel imports. What needs to be done is to increase this rate.”
Karanfil stated that they think that 2022 exports to Libya will be around $2.3 billion and that Turkiye has a common history and long-standing deep-rooted relations with Libya.
Karanfil said, “The closeness in political relations, of course, affects our trade and investment relations positively. As the business world, we are very pleased with this. In this context, I believe that the agreements that have been established between the two countries in the field of energy recently will also have an important place in our trade and investment relations. I hope we will see the positive reflections of these agreements in the near future.”
Source: Trthaber / Translated by Irem Yildiz