The automotive, chemicals and steel industries were Türkiye’s top exporting industries in March, the latest official data showed.
Exports in the automotive industry amounted to $3.52 billion last month, corresponding to 17.5 percent of the country’s export revenues. In March, carmakers increased their shipments to foreign markets by 9.2 percent from a year ago.
In the first three months of 2025, automotive exports rose 4 percent annually to $9.49 billion.
The share of the chemicals and chemical products industry in total exports was 13.6 percent, or $2.73 billion. This industry’s export revenues, however, fell by 11.3 percent in March compared to the same month of last year. In January-March, its export revenues dropped 3.6 percent annually to $7.77 billion.
The steel industry ranked third with $1.55 billion last month, accounting for 7.7 percent of Türkiye’s overall export revenues. Steel exports grew 5.6 percent year-on-year in March, while in the January-March period, steel exports increased by 2 percent annually to surpass $4 billion.
In March, the sector that increased its exports the most was the defense and aerospace industry.
Last month, defense and aerospace exports surged 147 percent annually to $884 million. In January-March, defense exports increased by 72 percent year-on-year to $1.7 billion.
In March, Türkiye’s exports were up 3.2 percent from a year ago to $23.4 billion, which marked the second-highest March figure on record.
From January to March, exports amounted to $65.3 billion, up 2.5 percent year-on-year.
