Turkey targets to reach exports of $190B in 2020

ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s exports in January exhibited a 5 percent increase from the same month of 2019 according to the current figures, İsmail Gülle, the head of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM), has said.

Data from TİM show that the country’s shipments stood at $13.2 billion in January last year.

Gülle noted that Turkey is targeting $190 billion worth of exports in 2020, after the country’s shipments hit a historic high of $180.5 billion last year.

“I’m confident that we’ll close out this year with a record in exports,” Gülle said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency on Jan. 9, adding that they are working toward this goal.

The government’s new economic program, released in September last year, forecasts that the country’s export revenues will further climb to $202 billion next year.

The government expects exports to reach $202 billion in 2021 and rise to $213 billion in 2022.

Some 17,544 Turkish firms carried out exports for the first time, with exports totaling $4.5 billion, Gülle also noted.

Mentioning U.S. restrictions on steel imports and the narrowing EU car market, Gülle said these two factors cost Turkey $10 billion in 2019.

Touching on the ongoing Brexit process, he predicted that the Brexit deal will cause no significant problems for Turkish trade.

“There may be opportunities in Brexit. The U.K. decision will determine Turkey’s position. It’s important for us to manage this process well,” he added.