Türkiye’s exports to G-20 countries witnessed a surge of 37% in the period between 2019 and 2023 to approach the figure of $100 billion (TL 3.45 trillion), according to a report on Monday, citing a rise in shipments to most of the members.
According to data compiled by an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent, the G-20 accounts for approximately 85% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and 75% of global trade.
Brazil currently holds the G-20 presidency, which comprises 19 member countries, including Türkiye, the European Union and the African Union. The G-20 leaders’ summit is being held on Nov.18-19 in Brazil’s city of Rio de Janeiro.
The main theme of the summit, which is attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is set as “Building a Fair World and a Sustainable Planet.”
The meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro is, however, overshadowed by two major wars and Donald Trump’s recent U.S. election victory. Heightened global tensions and uncertainty about an incoming Trump administration have tempered any expectations for a strongly worded statement addressing the conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine.
The agenda of the summit includes issues such as tackling poverty and driving reforms in global institutions.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva aims to use the summit to launch the “Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty,” seeking firm financial commitments from G-20 nations to advance initiatives that increase food production and tackle hunger on a global scale.
Almost all G-20 leaders are expected to attend the meeting, including U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Erdoğan arrived in Brazil on Sunday with a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, and has already met da Silva for bilateral talks.
Turkish exports to G-20
The recent data suggests that Türkiye’s efforts to strengthen its role in the global economy are reflected in its export data with member countries of the G-20.
In 2019, Türkiye exported $71.2 billion worth of goods to 18 G-20 member countries. During the intense period of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, exports to these countries dropped to $68.8 billion but climbed again to $86.8 billion in 2021.
Moreover, in 2022, Türkiye exported $97.3 billion worth of goods, followed by $97.2 billion in 2023 to these countries.
Like this, over the 2019-2023 period, Türkiye’s exports to G-20 countries increased by approximately 37%, approaching $100 billion.
In the first nine months of this year, Türkiye shipped $73.9 billion worth of goods to 18 countries.
Meanwhile, Turkish exports to the EU and the African Union, outside the G-20 member countries, also showed an increase during this period.
Germany leads, Argentina trails
The data also suggested that during this period, Türkiye’s exports to 16 of the 18 member countries increased, while exports to Saudi Arabia and Argentina declined.
Exports to Germany, one of Türkiye’s main trading partners, rose from $16.6 billion in 2019 to $21.1 billion last year, marking a rise of approximately 27%.
Meanwhile, exports to the United States also saw a significant uptick, rising from nearly $9 billion in 2019 to $14.9 billion in 2023, showing a remarkable 66% increase during this period.
The U.K., on the other hand, was Türkiye’s third-largest G-20 export destination last year, with $12.5 billion in exports, reflecting a 10% increase from $11.3 billion in 2019.
In 2023, the G-20 countries to which Türkiye exported the least were Argentina ($171 million), Indonesia ($411 million) and Japan ($645 million).
