Turkey\u2019s exports to its neighbors rebounded in the first half of this year compared to a year ago when the coronavirus pandemic disrupted trade and prompted the shutting of borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sales to Iran, Greece, Iraq, Georgia, Syria and Bulgaria jumped 36.5% from January through June to reach $9.1 billion, data compiled from the Trade Ministry and Turkey Exporters Assembly (TIM) showed Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey had largely closed its land borders with the neighboring nations in February and March of last year as a precautionary measure to halt the potential spread of coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later on, multiple practices including buffer zones for trucks \u2013 and efforts were undertaken to ensure trade remained unaffected by the curbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey\u2019s exports to the aforementioned six nations totaled $6.7 billion in the January-June period of 2020, when the pandemic led to a 6.26% drop in overall foreign sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country closed the year with $169.5 billion in exports, exceeding the target of $165.9 billion in the medium-term program. Imports were up 4.3% to a total of $219.4 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government had implemented multiple practices to keep trade flowing. Commercial vehicles were making entry-exit operations through container, trailer and driver exchanges in the buffer zone at the border crossings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For railway, Turkish locomotives had pushed the freight cars onto the neighboring country\u2019s rails, from where another locomotive on the other side would pull them through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sales from January through June this year rebounded and jumped 40% to hit $105 billion, marking the highest ever exports figure in the six-month period, official data showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exports to all the neighboring nations rose in the first half of the year versus a year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iraq was Turkey\u2019s top market among the neighboring countries, as it received more than $3.9 billion worth of Turkish goods in the said period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bulgaria and Greece followed with nearly $1.63 billion and $1.26 billion, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran, Syria and Georgia respectively received $997.24 million, $689.93 million and $652.8 million worth of Turkish products from January through June, the data showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sales to Syria saw the highest increase with 67%, followed by Greece with 60.6% and Iran with 51.7%. Exports to Iraq, Bulgaria and Georgia were up 23.3%, 50.5% and 11.2%, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chemicals industry topped the list among industries that sold most goods to the neighboring countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It accounted for nearly $1.55 billion of overall sales made to the six nations. It was followed by cereals, pulses, oilseeds and other similar products with $1.1 billion and steel with $760.92 million, the data showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, Turkey also sold $7.35 million and $5.78 million worth of defense and aviation products and other industrial products to the countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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