Foreign trade conducted in Turkish lira reached a historic high in the first nine months of 2025, hitting TL 1.06 trillion ($24 billion), a remarkable 33% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This surge reflects strong export performance and robust demand for Turkish goods, despite global economic uncertainties.
According to an Anadolu Agency (AA) report, Turkiye’s total exports in the January-September period rose by 4.1%, reaching $200.6 billion. The growth in lira-based trade mirrored this export increase, showcasing the currency's expanding role in international trade.
The volume of foreign trade in Turkish lira showed consistent growth each month. In January, exports in Turkish lira surged by 20.4% year-on-year, totaling TL 26.3 billion, while imports rose by 47.2%, reaching TL 70.3 billion. February saw a 12.4% increase in exports, bringing the total to TL 28.3 billion, while imports grew by 19.2%, amounting to TL 84 billion. March continued this upward trend with exports growing 17.2% to TL 30.87 billion, and imports increasing by 45.7%, reaching TL 95.76 billion.
April’s export growth was slightly lower at 9.1%, with exports reaching TL 24.3 billion, while imports surged 53.5%, totaling TL 97.2 billion. In May, exports grew 3.3% to TL 28.7 billion, while imports increased by 35.5%, totaling TL 90 billion. June, coinciding with the celebration of Eid al-Adha, saw a notable 11.6% rise in exports, reaching TL 23.7 billion, while imports jumped 61.6% to TL 98.5 billion.
July witnessed a 7.9% increase in exports to TL 28.2 billion, and a 51.4% rise in imports, reaching TL 104.3 billion. The trend continued into August with exports holding steady at TL 25.4 billion, while imports grew by 30.7%, reaching TL 88.4 billion. In September, exports increased by 4.8%, totaling TL 27.1 billion, while imports grew by 38.3%, amounting to TL 91.5 billion.
In total, exports in Turkish lira for the first nine months of 2025 were calculated at TL 242.9 billion, up 9.4% compared to the same period last year. Imports rose by 42%, totaling TL 820 billion. This led to an overall foreign trade volume of TL 1.06 trillion, a record figure for Turkiye when compared to previous years.
Exports from Turkiye were made to 165 countries in September alone, with 30,668 companies engaging in foreign transactions using the Turkish lira. The data underscores the growing significance of the lira in global trade and highlights Turkiye's ongoing economic resilience amidst challenges.
Source: Daily Sabah
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
