Türkiye's March Exports Reached 21.9 Billion Dollars
President of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly Mustafa Gültepe: Our exports reached 63.3 billion dollars in the first quarter of 2026 and 271.3 billion dollars over the past 12 months. While we concluded the first quarter with a 3.1 percent contraction, we remain 3 percent positive on a rolling 12-month basis. In the sectoral ranking, automotive maintained its leadership with 3.3 billion dollars. Automotive was followed by chemicals with 3 billion dollars and steel with 1.6 billion dollars.
Türkiye's exports in March amounted to 21.9 billion dollars. In 2026, first-quarter exports reached 63.3 billion dollars, while total exports over the past 12 months stood at 271.3 billion dollars.
March export figures were announced in Van by Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat and President of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly Mustafa Gültepe.
President of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly Mustafa Gültepe stated that, with the conclusion of March, the first-quarter export performance has become clear. Noting that they remained below their targeted level in the first three months, Gültepe continued as follows:
“According to the General Trade System (GTS) records, we closed March with exports of 21.9 billion dollars. We are down 6.4 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. Our exports reached 63.3 billion dollars in the first quarter of 2026 and 271.3 billion dollars over the past 12 months. While we completed the first quarter with a 3.1 percent contraction, we are up 3 percent on a 12-month rolling basis. In March, exports declined in 18 out of our 26 sectors. In the sectoral ranking, automotive maintained its leadership with 3.3 billion dollars. It was followed by chemicals with 3 billion dollars, steel with 1.6 billion dollars, electrical-electronics with 1.5 billion dollars, and ready-to-wear with 1.2 billion dollars. According to Türkiye Exporters Assembly data, 34 of our provinces increased their exports last month. Our top five exporting provinces were İstanbul, Kocaeli, Ankara, Bursa, and İzmir. In March, 938 of our companies exported for the first time. The contribution of these companies to our exports was approximately 108 million dollars. Parity contributed 682 million dollars to our exports last month.”
“Exports to Gulf countries declined by 37 percent in March”
Mustafa Gültepe reported that exports increased to 125 countries and regions last month, while declining in 98 countries and regions. Stating that the top export destinations were Germany, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France, Gültepe also commented on exports to Gulf countries adversely affected by the Iran war:
“In March, our exports to Gulf countries declined by 37 percent to 1 billion 371 million dollars. Within a single month, we experienced a loss of 815 million dollars in exports to the region. Last month, our exports decreased to all countries in the region except Oman. There were losses of 30 percent in Iraq, 48 percent in the UAE, 41 percent in Iran, 29 percent in Saudi Arabia, 83 percent in Qatar, 70 percent in Kuwait, and nearly 81 percent in Bahrain. The war most severely affected our jewelry, cereals, automotive, chemicals, and furniture sectors. As the export family, we must further strengthen our communication with the region under these challenging conditions. By increasing the flexibility of our logistics channels, we must sustain our relations. In this regard, both our relevant ministries and our Türkiye Exporters' Assembly Logistics Council are closely monitoring the process. We are working with full determination to resolve the issues faced by our exporters.”
“New support mechanisms for exporters must be swiftly implemented”
Mustafa Gültepe emphasized that rising oil and raw material prices, driven by the war, have further increased the burden on exporters already struggling with competitiveness. Stating that they continue production and exports despite all challenges, Gültepe concluded his remarks as follows:
“Under these challenging conditions, strengthening our competitiveness has become far more critical. Therefore, new support mechanisms must be swiftly put into effect. With the right steps, we can collectively achieve sustainable success. As Türkiye Exporters Assembly, together with our exporters' associations, we continue our market diversification efforts without interruption. In March, we organized trade delegations in eight countries, including Russia, the United Kingdom, and Ghana. We also have an intensive schedule in April. We will carry out delegations to 20 countries, including South Africa, Canada, and Romania. As we always emphasize, our business is production, and our strength is exports.”