Ankara: Turkish exports amounted to $21.7 billion in August, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Tuesday. The exports experienced a 1.2% decline on an annual basis, while imports also saw a reduction of 3.9% to $25.94 billion in August, culminating in a trade deficit of $4.2 billion, down 15.8%.

According to Anadolu Agency, excluding energy and non-monetary gold, the foreign trade balance posted a surplus of $338 million in August. The data showed that the manufacturing industries products sector, agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector, and the mining and quarrying sector accounted for 94.9%, 2.7%, and 1.6% of total exports, respectively. The high-tech sector's share in manufacturing was at 4.2%, with medium-high tech at 37.9% in August.

Germany emerged as the top destination for Turkish exports with $1.77 billion, followed by the US with $1.27 billion, and the UK with $1.15 billion. On the import side, China was the leading source for Trkiye with $3.9 billion, followed by Russia with $3.28 billion, and Germany with $2.25 billion.

In the period from January to August, Trkiye's exports totaled $178 billion, marking an increase of 4.3%, while imports rose by 5.6% to $238.1 billion. The foreign trade deficit for the eight-month period stood at $60.14 billion, reflecting a 9.7% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.

Trkiye's Trade Minister Omer Bolat commented on the data, highlighting the export-import coverage ratio of 83.8% in August, the highest in the last 46 months. "According to our leading indicators, as the Trade Ministry, we estimate that there will be a surplus of around $5 billion in the current account in August," Bolat wrote on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal. He further noted that growth in production, investment, and exports is positively impacting employment. "According to the latest data, employment increased by 208,000 to 32.8 million in August 2025. Thus, employment remained strong, very close to the record level seen in May 2024," Bolat added.