'Export Master Plan to raise Turkey's export targets

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - A plan revealed at the end of last month will raise Turkey's export targets, the head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly said on Thursday.

Exporters can revise their export targets for the Republic of Turkey's centenary in 2023, Ismail Gulle told Anadolu Agency during the international kitchenware fair Zuchex.

Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan announced the Export Master Plan to select 17 target countries and prioritize five sectors to raise the country's exports.

The plan named the machinery, automotive, electric and electronics, chemical and food industries as priority sectors, and the U.S., Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, South Korea, India, Iraq, the U.K., Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Russia and Chile as target countries.

Underlining that the government attached importance to all of the sectors besides these five industries as well, Gulle said exporters supported the plan.

"We can realize our targets in a short period, in a process following these two years," he underlined.

Touching on Turkey's cooperation with the U.S. to increase bilateral trade, Gulle noted this target would increase Turkish exports to the U.S. from $8.4 billion to $50 billion.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had announced an annual bilateral trade target of $100 billion between the two countries, during his visit to Turkey last week.

Gulle added: "We raise our share in the $2.6 trillion U.S. market from 0.4% to around 1.5-2%."

Turkish exports volume was $83.7 billion in the first half of 2019 and $167.9 billion last year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.