Foreign Trade Statistics, March 2019

Exports and imports decreased by 0.4% and 17.8%, respectivelyAccording to the provisional data, produced with the cooperation of the Turkish Statistical Institute and the Ministry of Trade, in March 2019; exports were 15 billion 486 million dollars with a 0.4% decrease and imports were 17 billion 622 million dollars  with a 17.8% decrease  compared with March 2018.

Foreign trade deficit decreased by 63.7%  

In March 2019 foreign trade deficit was 2 billion 137 million dollars with a 63.7% decrease compared with March 2018. In March 2019, exports coverage imports was 87.9% while it was 72.6% in March 2018.

Seasonally and calendar adjusted exports increased by 2.4%

Seasonally and calendar adjusted exports and imports increased by 2.4% and 2.5%, respectively compared with previous month. Calendar adjusted exports  increased by 2.6% while imports decreased by 15% compared with March 2018.

The main partner for exports was Germany, for imports was Russia

In March 2019, the main partner country for exports was Germany with 1 billion 403 million dollars. The country was followed by the United Kingdom with 855 million dollars, Italy with 827 million dollars and Iraq with 782 million dollars. The top country for Turkey’s imports was Russia with 1 billion 969 million dollars. The country was followed by Germany with 1 billion 615 million dollars, China with 1 billion 405 million dollars and USA with 940 million dollars.

Ratio of exports of high-tech products in manufacturing industries was 3.9%

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 94.9% in March. The ratio of exports of high-technology products in manufacturing industries was 3.9%. The ratio of manufacturing industries’ products in total imports was 74.5%. The ratio of imports of high-technology products in manufacturing industries’ products was 15.7% in March 2019.

According to general trade system exports were 16 billion 305 million dollars 

According to the general trade system in March 2019, exports were 16 billion 305 million dollars with a 0.3% increase and imports were 18 billion 250 million dollars  with a 18% decrease compared with March 2018. Exports coverage imports was 89.3% in March 2019.

The next release on this subject will be on May 31, 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.