Ankara Ramps up Efforts on Trade Ties with Washington

Ankara, which faces a 10 percent U.S. tariff, and Washington aim to boost the bilateral trade volume to $100 billion.

In response to President Donald Trump’s decision to impose reciprocal tariffs, Ankara plans to accelerate sectoral preparations, boost trade diplomacy, and negotiate directly for tariff relief on Turkish exports.

Noting that Trump’s new trade policies are expected to accelerate shifts in global supply chains, Bolat said sectoral steps will be taken to increase Turkey's share of the U.S. market under the framework of a “win-win” principle.

Turkey plans to intensify trade activities with the U.S. and strengthen economic cooperation by correctly analyzing the emerging trade landscape shaped by the new tariff regime, he said.

To minimize the potential impact and leverage new opportunities, Turkey will implement preparations in key sectors, including textiles, ready-wear clothing, and machinery, Bolat explained.

These efforts aim to facilitate further trade liberalization between the two countries, he added.

Additionally, Bolat announced that both sides agreed to convene the next meeting of the Trade and Investment Council as soon as possible to enhance trade and investment cooperation.

He also said he will personally attend the Turkish-American Conference in Washington in May, where he will hold official talks with the U.S. commerce secretary and the trade representative to outline a joint business plan aligned with these objectives.

In 2024, bilateral trade jumped 4.7 percent to $35.2 billion. The U.S. accounted for 6.2 percent of Turkey’s total exports, making it the country's second-largest export destination. However, the U.S. maintained a $2.4 billion trade surplus.

 March export numbers

Turkey’s exports increased by 2.5 percent annually to reach $65.3 billion in the first three months of 2025, data from the Trade Ministry showed on April 4.

From January to March, the country’s imports amounted to $87.9 billion, leading to a foreign trade deficit of $22.58 billion, up 11.5 percent compared to the same period of 2024.

In March alone, exports grew 3.2 percent year-on-year to $23.4 billion, while imports increased 2.3 percent to $30.65 billion.

Last month, the country’s foreign trade balance produced a deficit of $7.26 billion, shrinking from the deficit of $7.3 billion a year earlier.

The 12-month exports and imports were $263 billion and $348 billion, respectively, as of March.

The current account deficit is estimated at around $13 billion as of the end of March, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said at an event where he unveiled the latest trade data.

As was the case in the previous months, Germany was Turkey’s largest export market at $1.86 billion in March, followed by the U.K. at $ 1.4 billion. 

Shipments to the U.S. amounted to $1.4 billion last month, making it the third-largest export market, while imports from America stood at $2.06 billion.

Source: HDN