01Key Takeaways
- Türkiye exported $255.63 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 0.6% from $254.17 billion in 2022, essentially flat and the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Vehicles led every export category at 12.1% ($30.83 billion), with machinery and mechanical appliances ranking second at 9.9% ($25.26 billion).
- Germany was Türkiye's largest export partner, taking 8.2% of exports, worth $21.08 billion.
- The top three export partners together accounted for just 19.1% of total export value, a notably low concentration level.
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $180.8B | $169.7B | $225.2B | $254.2B | $255.6B |
03Top Export Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | $21.1B | 8.2% |
| 2 | United States | $14.9B | 5.8% |
| 3 | Iraq | $12.8B | 5.0% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | $12.5B | 4.9% |
| 5 | Italy | $12.4B | 4.8% |
| 6 | Russia | $10.9B | 4.3% |
| 7 | France | $10.3B | 4.0% |
| 8 | Spain | $9.8B | 3.8% |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | $8.6B | 3.4% |
| 10 | Netherlands | $7.9B | 3.1% |
04Top Export Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $30.8B | 12.1% |
| 2 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $25.3B | 9.9% |
| 3 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $16.4B | 6.4% |
| 4 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $15.5B | 6.0% |
| 5 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $13.6B | 5.3% |
| 6 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $10.6B | 4.1% |
| 7 | Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories, Knitted or Crocheted | $10.3B | 4.0% |
| 8 | Articles of Iron or Steel | $10.1B | 3.9% |
| 9 | Iron and Steel | $8.9B | 3.5% |
| 10 | Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories, not Knitted or Crocheted | $8.0B | 3.1% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Export Value Held Steady in 2023 After a Sharp Two-Year Rebound
Türkiye exported $255.63 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 0.6% from $254.17 billion in 2022. This is the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset. The dataset covers a full five years, from 2019 through 2023, tracking one of the largest economies bridging Europe and Asia.
Export value stood at $180.83 billion in 2019. It fell to $169.66 billion in 2020, the low point of this five-year window, before climbing sharply for two consecutive years. Export value reached $225.21 billion in 2021 and $254.17 billion in 2022, before edging up further to $255.63 billion in 2023.
This dataset does not explain the 2020 dip or the sharp rebound that followed. Export value in 2023 nonetheless stands well above every earlier year in this window. A gain of just 0.6% describes a plateau after that rebound. It holds on to nearly all of the ground gained since 2020, rather than giving any of it back. That pattern stands in contrast to the sharper swings seen earlier in this same five-year window, before the rebound began.
Vehicles and Machinery Anchor a Diversified Export List
Vehicles led every export category in 2023, worth $30.83 billion, or 12.1% of the total, by a clear margin the largest single category on this list. Parts and accessories of motor vehicles represent the backbone of Türkiye's industrial exports, linking directly into Germany's automotive manufacturing network, a tie reflected in vehicles topping this list and Germany ranking as the top export partner. Machinery and mechanical appliances ranked second at 9.9%, worth $25.26 billion. Mineral fuels followed at 6.4%, worth $16.39 billion. These first three categories together account for well over a quarter of total export value.
Electrical machinery and equipment added 6.0%, worth $15.45 billion, and natural and cultured pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, and precious metals contributed 5.3%, worth $13.65 billion. Plastics added another 4.1%, worth $10.57 billion.
Knitted apparel and clothing accessories contributed 4.0% ($10.28 billion), and iron or steel articles added a further 3.9% ($10.05 billion). Iron and steel itself contributed 3.5%, worth $8.86 billion, and non-knitted apparel closed out the top ten at 3.1%, worth $8.04 billion, the smallest share among all ten categories on this list, though still a sizeable figure on its own. Vehicles, machinery and fuels together account for well over a quarter of total export value, with textiles, metals and precious materials filling out a long and varied tail. These ten categories span a broad mix of manufacturing sectors, from transport equipment and heavy machinery to apparel and raw metals, reflecting a manufacturing base that produces both finished goods and industrial inputs. Together, these ten categories capture a wide cross-section of the economy, from heavy industry to consumer goods.
Germany Leads a Broad, Low-Concentration Partner Base
Germany was Türkiye's largest export partner in 2023, taking 8.2% of exports, worth $21.08 billion. United States ranked second at 5.8%, worth $14.88 billion. Iraq followed at 5.0%, worth $12.76 billion. Together, these top three partners accounted for just 19.1% of total export value, a notably low concentration level for a top-three grouping. That is a markedly lower concentration level than economies where a single destination or two capture the bulk of total export value.
United Kingdom contributed 4.9% ($12.46 billion), and Italy added 4.8% ($12.37 billion). Russia followed at 4.3% ($10.91 billion), and France added 4.0% ($10.30 billion).
Spain contributed 3.8% ($9.78 billion). United Arab Emirates ranked ninth at 3.4%, worth $8.57 billion. Netherlands closed out the top ten at 3.1% ($7.86 billion), the smallest share among the ten partners listed here. This list spans Europe, the Middle East and North America, a broad geographic spread reflected in the low concentration among the leading partners. That geographic breadth, spanning three continents, helps explain why no single partner commands anywhere close to the concentration seen in many smaller export economies. Ranks four through ten here are packed within roughly two percentage points of each other, an even tighter cluster than the gaps separating the top three.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an export profile anchored in vehicles, machinery and precious materials, holding nearly steady after a sharp rebound from the 2020 low. That profile is sourced from a partner base spread widely across regions, with no single destination commanding an outsized share.