Türkiye's export performance continued to show resilience in April 2026, with export prices and volumes posting annual increases, while import volumes declined notably, according to the latest foreign trade indices released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

The data revealed that the overall export unit value index increased by 13.7 percent in April compared to the same month of the previous year, reflecting stronger pricing across major export categories.

Among the sectors contributing to the increase, the export unit value index for manufactured goods excluding food, beverages and tobacco rose by 11.1 percent, while food, beverages and tobacco recorded an 11.5 percent increase. The index climbed 16.1 percent for crude materials excluding fuels, while the most significant rise was observed in the fuel category, which surged by 49.1 percent year-on-year.

Türkiye also recorded growth in the quantity of goods shipped abroad. The overall export volume index increased by 7.6 percent in April 2026 compared with April 2025.

Export volumes of food, beverages and tobacco rose by 9.1 percent, while crude materials excluding fuels increased by 18.1 percent. Manufactured goods, excluding food, beverages and tobacco, posted a 10.8 percent increase in volume.

However, export volumes of fuels moved in the opposite direction, falling by 33.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

On the import side, Türkiye faced higher costs for incoming goods. The overall import unit value index rose by 11.3 percent year-on-year in April.

The largest increase was again seen in the fuel category, where the import unit value index jumped 38.9 percent. The index rose 2.9 percent for crude materials excluding fuels and 4.3 percent for manufactured goods excluding food, beverages and tobacco.

In contrast, import prices for food, beverages and tobacco declined by 3.2 percent compared with April 2025.

Despite rising import prices, the volume of imports contracted significantly.

The overall import volume index decreased by 7.3 percent in April compared with the same month of the previous year.

Imports of food, beverages and tobacco increased sharply by 37.5 percent, while crude material imports excluding fuels edged up by 1.2 percent.

Meanwhile, fuel import volumes fell by 7.6 percent, and imports of manufactured goods excluding food, beverages and tobacco declined by 3.3 percent, contributing to the overall decrease.

Seasonally and calendar-adjusted figures pointed to an acceleration in export activity during the month.

The calendar and seasonally adjusted export volume index rose by 9.9 percent, increasing from 132.1 in March 2026 to 145.2 in April 2026.

On an annual basis, the calendar-adjusted export volume index climbed by 3.4 percent, rising from 139.6 in April 2025 to 144.3 in April 2026.

In contrast, the calendar and seasonally adjusted import volume index declined by 5.1 percent, falling from 131.1 in March to 124.4 in April.

Compared with the same month of the previous year, the calendar-adjusted import volume index dropped by 10.1 percent, decreasing from 139.1 to 125.0.

TurkStat's data also indicated a modest improvement in Türkiye's terms of trade, a key indicator measuring the relationship between export and import prices.

Calculated by dividing the export unit value index by the import unit value index and multiplying the result by 100, the terms of trade rose from 88.2 in April 2025 to 90.1 in April 2026, representing an increase of 1.9 points.

The improvement suggests that Türkiye's export prices strengthened at a faster pace than import prices, providing a relatively more favourable trading position despite persistent global uncertainties and fluctuations in commodity markets.

The latest figures point to a foreign trade landscape characterised by rising export competitiveness and easing import demand, highlighting the continued importance of external trade in supporting Türkiye's economic activity amid evolving global conditions. (ILKHA)