Turkish exports start 2017 with increase

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s exports started the year with a significant increase, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said on Tuesday.

Turkey's exports in the first month of the year stood at $11.3 billion, an 18.1 percent increase year-on-year. Imports also rose to $15.6 billion, an almost 16 percent rise.

TurkStat said the country's foreign trade deficit increased by 10.3 percent in January year-on-year, amounting to $4.3 billion.

The country’s exports to the EU -- Turkey’s main trading partner -- increased by 12 percent in January to reach over $5.3 billion.

Germany, the EU's largest economy, was the largest receiver of Turkish goods in the month, in trade worth over $1.1 billion; Iraq followed with $684 million of imports from Turkey.

Turkey imported around $1.9 billion in goods from China in January. Russia was the second-largest exporter to the country, with almost $1.5 billion for the month and Germany came third with almost $1.2 billion.