Türkiye's Monthly Exports Reach $25 Billion for the First Time in July
In the ranking of top exporting sectors, automotive maintained its leading position with $3.8 billion, followed by chemicals with $3.4 billion, and apparel with $1.58 billion in third place.
Türkiye Exporters Assembly Chairman Mustafa Gültepe: We observe that nearly the entire $2.5 billion increase in exports in July stems from our automotive and chemical sectors, as well as the exchange rate. We are not complaining, yet for a stable and sustainable rise, we must integrate all our sectors into the equation.
In July, Türkiye achieved its highest-ever monthly export value, reaching $25 billion. From January to July 2025, exports amounted to $156 billion, while exports over the past 12 months reached $269.5 billion.
The July export figures were announced in Samsun by Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat and Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) Chairman Mustafa Gültepe.
TIM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, in his address, recalled that the first half of 2025—begun with an export target of $280 billion—had concluded below expectations. He stated that they had made a strong start to the second half of the year, aided by favorable exchange rates, and continued:
“According to the General Trade System (GTS) records, we reached the highest monthly export value to date with $25 billion in July. Compared to the same month last year, we are up by 11 percent. Our seven-month exports reached $156 billion, and our annualized exports amounted to $269.5 billion. This corresponds to a 5.1 percent increase in seven-month exports and a 3.1 percent increase in annualized exports. We estimate that service exports in July will approximate $11.8 billion. From a sectoral perspective, automotive sustained its leadership with $3.8 billion. It was followed by chemicals with $3.4 billion, apparel with $1.58 billion, electrical and electronics with $1.57 billion, and steel with $1.4 billion. While 17 of our sectors increased their exports, 9 recorded declines. Our top five exporting provinces were İstanbul, Kocaeli, Ankara, Bursa, and İzmir. Ankara, Bolu, Çankırı, Edirne, and Muğla achieved their highest monthly export values to date. In July, 1,180 companies exported for the first time. The exchange rate contributed $825 million to our exports, bringing its total impact over the past three months to $1.6 billion. Our top export destinations were Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Italy. We recorded increases exceeding 50 percent in 52 countries and over 10 percent in 107 countries. Overall, we expanded our exports to 137 countries.”
“We Must Achieve Double-Digit Growth in Exports Every Month”
Emphasizing their satisfaction with the 11 percent increase in July exports, Mustafa Gültepe stated that attaining long-term goals required replicating this success on a monthly basis. He stressed that the path to sustained double-digit growth lies in an export model underpinned by broad-based, positive contributions from all sectors:
“However, the 11 percent growth in July primarily arose from conjunctural factors. Last month, our exports were largely dominated by the automotive and chemical sectors. The numbers speak for themselves: a 23 percent increase in automotive and 33 percent in chemicals. Of the $2.5 billion increase in July, approximately $1.6 billion came from these two sectors, with the exchange rate contributing an additional $825 million. Hence, nearly the entirety of July's $2.5 billion growth is attributable to our automotive and chemical industries, alongside exchange rate effects. We are not dissatisfied, but for consistent and sustainable progress, we must involve all our sectors. This necessitates revitalizing our waning competitiveness. We view the Central Bank's 300-basis-point interest rate cut at its July meeting as a positive step in this regard. I extend my thanks to Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan for his support in both the interest rate cut and the three-month extension of the 3 percent foreign exchange conversion support.”
“If We Can Regain Our Competitiveness from 2–3 Years Ago, We May Create Opportunities in the U.S. Market”
Commenting on the United States' new tariff policies, Gültepe described the Trump administration's last-minute decision to raise the additional customs duty on Türkiye from 10 percent to 15 percent as unfortunate. Gültepe stated: “Despite everything, we remain focused on expanding our market share in the United States. If we can restore our competitive edge to the levels of 2–3 years ago, we can turn our partial advantage in the U.S. market into an opportunity. Of course, it is of paramount importance that our trade diplomacy with the United States continues in a multifaceted and resolute manner.”