A Stronger Industry Means Stronger Exports
Our exports reached $23.5 billion in August, representing an increase of 8.1 percent. Our exports in the first eight months rose to $185 billion, while our exports over the last 12 months reached $280.3 billion. We are up 4 percent in exports for the January-August period and 4.2 percent on a 12-month rolling basis.
While Türkiye's exports continue along a path of moderate growth, the strong expansion in global goods trade is particularly noteworthy. Global goods trade is estimated to have increased by 12.5 percent in the first half of 2026. Over the same period, our export growth remained at 3.6 percent. This is because high costs continue to curb our momentum and exert pressure on our share of global goods exports. As signs of recovery emerge from Europe, our largest market, it is critically important that measures to strengthen our competitiveness be implemented without further delay.
The growth figures announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) also contain important data that complement this overall picture. Türkiye's economy grew by 2.3 percent in the second quarter, maintaining its uninterrupted growth trajectory for 24 consecutive quarters. Net exports made a modest positive contribution to growth for the first time in six quarters. The 0.6 percentage-point contribution from net exports has given us hope for the period ahead.
We always want exports to be the driving force of growth. However, the share of manufacturing industry in national income continues to decline. In the second quarter of 2022, manufacturing accounted for 23 percent of national income. That ratio fell to 15.1 percent in the second quarter of this year. This represents a decline of approximately 8 percentage points in four years. I say this at every opportunity: At least half of growth must come from production and exports. Yet exporters' competitiveness continues to weaken. Although it does not fully meet our expectations, I would like to express my appreciation for the revision made to the Employment Protection Support Programme and the TRY 250 billion financing package announced specifically for the manufacturing industry. All these measures are important, but we need much more if we are to regain our competitiveness.
As TİM and the exporters' associations, we continue to remain active in the field to connect our companies with new customers and new orders in new markets. In August, we organised seven trade delegations, one inward buying mission, participation in eight trade fairs and three UR-GE activities. In September, we will continue to bring our companies together with potential buyers by organising 17 trade delegations.
Syria held a special place among the countries we visited last month. Together with our Minister of Trade, we travelled to Damascus with a 200-member delegation, where we held the Türkiye-Syria Trade Delegation programme and bilateral business meetings. We also took our place at the Damascus International Fair. We held productive meetings with Syrian businesspeople. There are extensive opportunities for cooperation between Türkiye and Syria across all fields. Strengthening production and trade infrastructure means economic recovery for Syria and investment and exports for Türkiye.
With August behind us, we have now completed the first eight months of the year. We will continue to work with all our strength, making the most efficient use of the remaining four months, to achieve our $282 billion goods export target.