Türkiye’s trade deficit narrowed 25.8 percent year-on-year in September to $5.16 billion as exports grew faster than imports, official data showed on Oct. 28.
Exports rose 15.3 percent to $25.97 billion, while imports increased 5.6 percent to $31.13 billion, according to provisional foreign trade figures compiled jointly by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) and the Trade Ministry.
Exports covered 83.4 percent of imports, up from 76.4 percent in September last year, when the trade deficit stood at $6.96 billion.
For the first nine months of 2026, the deficit widened 5.7 percent to $70.97 billion from $67.16 billion a year earlier.
Exports increased 5.2 percent to $210.95 billion, while imports rose 5.3 percent to $281.92 billion.
The export-to-import coverage ratio for January-September stood at 74.8 percent, slightly below the 74.9 percent recorded in the same period of 2025.
Excluding energy products and non-monetary gold, September exports rose 10.5 percent from a year earlier, increasing from $21.17 billion to $23.39 billion.
Imports on the same basis grew 6.7 percent, from $22.43 billion to $23.93 billion.
On that basis, the trade deficit stood at $541 million, with exports covering 97.7 percent of imports.
Combined exports and imports excluding energy and gold increased 8.5 percent to $47.31 billion.
