Turkey’s trade deficit narrowed to USD 5.6 billion in May 2026, down from USD 6.6 billion in the same month a year earlier, in line with preliminary figures from the Trade Ministry. This marked the smallest trade gap since August 2025, as exports declined by less than imports.
Exports fell 9.5% year-on-year to USD 22.5 billion, with shipments decreasing across key sectors: agriculture, forestry and fishing (-2.2%), mining and quarrying (-2.1%), and manufacturing (-10.0%). Germany remained Turkey’s leading export market, accounting for 7.6% of total exports, followed by the United States (6.8%), the United Kingdom (6.1%), Italy (5.1%), and Spain (4.1%).
