Türkiye’s exports and imports recorded year-on-year increases in November 2025, while the country’s foreign trade deficit continued to widen, according to provisional data released on Wednesday by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

Under the general trade system, exports rose by 1.3 percent to $22.536 billion in November 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year. Imports increased by 2.6 percent to $30.518 billion over the same period.

As a result, Türkiye’s foreign trade deficit climbed by 6.3 percent year-on-year to $7.982 billion in November. The export-to-import coverage ratio declined to 73.8 percent, down from 74.8 percent in November 2024.

During the January–November 2025 period, exports increased by 3.6 percent to $247.023 billion, while imports rose by 5.7 percent to $329.698 billion compared with the same period in 2024.

The cumulative foreign trade deficit expanded by 12.6 percent to $82.674 billion in the first eleven months of the year. The export coverage ratio fell to 74.9 percent, down from 76.5 percent a year earlier.

When energy products and non-monetary gold are excluded, exports increased by 3.2 percent to $21.396 billion in November, while imports climbed by 6.0 percent to $23.250 billion.

The foreign trade deficit under this adjusted measure stood at $1.854 billion, while total foreign trade volume reached $44.647 billion, marking a 4.6 percent increase. The export coverage ratio excluding energy and gold was 92.0 percent.

Manufacturing industries continued to dominate Türkiye’s exports. In November 2025, manufacturing products accounted for 93.2 percent of total exports, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing at 4.5 percent, and mining and quarrying at 1.7 percent.

For the January–November period, manufacturing’s share stood at 94.4 percent, while agriculture accounted for 3.4 percent and mining 1.6 percent.

According to the Broad Economic Categories (BEC) classification, intermediate goods made up 67.8 percent of total imports in November, followed by capital goods at 15.3 percent and consumption goods at 16.3 percent.

In the January–November period, intermediate goods represented 68.8 percent of imports, capital goods 14.7 percent, and consumption goods 16.2 percent.

Germany remained Türkiye’s top export destination in November 2025, with exports totaling $1.855 billion. The United Kingdom followed with $1.378 billion, the United States with $1.338 billion, Italy with $1.222 billion, and Iraq with $1.163 billion. The top five destinations accounted for 30.9 percent of total exports.

For the January–November period, Germany also ranked first with $20.408 billion in exports, followed by the UK, the US, Italy, and Iraq. The top five countries made up 29.8 percent of total exports.

On the import side, China was Türkiye’s largest supplier in November with $4.153 billion, followed by Russia ($3.128 billion), Germany ($2.491 billion), Switzerland ($2.032 billion), and the United States ($1.488 billion). These five countries accounted for 43.6 percent of total imports.

Between January and November, China led imports with $44.927 billion, followed by Russia, Germany, the US, and Switzerland, with the top five accounting for 42.8 percent of total imports.

Seasonally and calendar-adjusted data showed exports increased by 2.2 percent and imports by 1.2 percent in November compared with the previous month. Calendar-adjusted figures showed exports rising by 4.6 percent and imports by 6.1 percent year-on-year.

High-technology products accounted for 3.1 percent of manufacturing exports in November and 3.6 percent in the January–November period. On the import side, high-technology products made up 12.4 percent of manufacturing imports in November and 11.5 percent during the first eleven months of the year.

According to the special trade system, exports reached $20.630 billion in November 2025, up 0.4 percent, while imports rose 3.6 percent to $29.491 billion. The foreign trade deficit increased by 12.0 percent to $8.861 billion, with the export coverage ratio declining to 70.0 percent.

For January–November 2025, exports totaled $224.632 billion, up 3.9 percent, while imports reached $310.283 billion, a 6.6 percent increase. The trade deficit widened by 14.7 percent to $85.651 billion, and the export coverage ratio fell to 72.4 percent.

The latest figures highlight continued growth in Türkiye’s trade activity in 2025, alongside persistent pressure from rising imports and a widening foreign trade deficit. (ILKHA)