By Tuba Sahin and Dilara Zengin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey’s foreign trade volume in the month of October soared by 18.2 percent to reach nearly $35.3 billion, the country’s customs and trade minister said on Thursday.
The country's exports in October rose 9 percent year-on-year, Bulent Tufenkci told the Turkish Export Week event at Istanbul Congress Center.
The value of Turkish export hit over $13.9 billion in the month while imports reached $21.3, the minister said.
He noted that the EU received almost half -- 49.5 percent -- of all Turkish exports.
Meanwhile, in the first 10 months of the year, the total number of export companies in the country reached 72,298, while importers stood at 77,290.
Tufenci said the government works for removing obstacles for exporters and launching projects to facilitate their works.
Turkey increased its market diversity in North Africa, Asia, Near East and Middle East, along with Europe.
He said 34.5 percent of Turkish exporters preferred to export in Near East and Middle East market in 2006 and this number increased to almost 50 percent in 2016.