Exporters Convened with the Chinese Business Community in Shanghai
Within the framework of the China General Trade Delegation program organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade, Turkish exporters and Chinese business leaders met in Shanghai and conducted more than 150 bilateral business meetings.
Under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade and through the organization of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), the “China General Trade Delegation” program was held in Shanghai between 4–8 November 2025. Led by TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç, the delegation included 19 Turkish exporting companies operating across diverse sectors such as automotive, machinery, furniture, textiles, chemicals, and healthcare.
The opening of the program in Shanghai was attended not only by Turkish exporters but also by Ma YI, Vice Chairman of the CCPIT Shanghai, along with representatives from the Chinese business community. Throughout the program, Turkish companies convened with representatives from more than 70 Chinese firms across various industries, conducting over 150 bilateral business meetings in total.
“Our objective is to achieve balance in trade with China”
TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç emphasized in his opening remarks the need to establish equilibrium in Türkiye's trade with China.
Güleç stated, “We are greatly pleased to be in Shanghai—one of the pivotal hubs of global commerce—with a broad delegation. China stands among the foremost countries from which our nation imports. In 2024, one-eighth of our total imports originated from China. Nevertheless, we did not manage to direct even 2 percent of our exports to China.”
Noting that Türkiye's exports to China rose by 2.5 percent to 3.4 billion dollars last year, Güleç reported that imports from China decreased by 0.3 percent to 44.9 billion dollars. Güleç added, “In the first nine months of 2025, our exports to China amounted to 2.3 billion dollars, marking a decline of 7.4 percent. Conversely, our imports from China increased by 10.8 percent, reaching 36.8 billion dollars.”
Drawing attention to the fact that the overwhelming share of bilateral trade volume favors China, Güleç remarked, “China accounts for 90 percent of our trade, while Türkiye constitutes only 10 percent. This imbalance leads to a substantial foreign trade deficit for Türkiye. Over the past three years, within an average trade volume of 47 billion dollars, Türkiye's deficit has hovered around 41 billion dollars.”
“Recognition of Turkish products in the Chinese market is low”
Güleç underlined that achieving balance in trade requires boosting exports to China and continued:
“Our share in China's imports does not even reach two per thousand. We observe that the recognition of Turkish products in the Chinese market remains low. Half of our exports to China originate from the mining sector. Chemicals, iron and non-ferrous metals, textiles and raw materials, and hazelnuts are among our other prominent sectors. Moreover, 60 percent of our exports are directed to the provinces of Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Fujian, and Guangdong. Our exports to other provinces remain below 100 million dollars.”
“China is a priority market under the Far Countries Strategy”
TİM Deputy Chairman Ahmet Güleç recalled that Türkiye's average export distance stands at approximately 3,000 kilometers and stated, “The distance between Türkiye and China is nearly 10,000 kilometers. Within the scope of the Far Countries Strategy, China is one of our most critical centers. By enhancing our presence in this market, we aim to increase both our average export distance and our overall export volume.”