Large firms drive trade, small ones count in numbers

ANKARA

In 2024, large enterprises once again proved to be the driving force of the country’s foreign trade, accounting for 44.4 percent of exports and an even greater 58.7 percent of imports, the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has shown.

Yet, behind these figures lies a striking contrast: while microenterprises with one to nine employees made up three-quarters of all exporting firms, their contribution to total exports was just 18.8 percent.

The overall trade landscape was shaped by 179,673 enterprises engaged in exports and 318,603 in imports.

Among importers, large enterprises represented only 1.1 percent of firms but carried out the majority of transactions, underscoring their outsized role in the economy.

By comparison, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises together accounted for 41.3 percent of imports.

Sectoral dynamics further highlight the divide. Industry-based enterprises performed 56.5 percent of exports and 47.3 percent of imports, while trade-focused firms contributed 39.0 percent of exports and 38.5 percent of imports.

Within the industry, large enterprises dominated with 68.6 percent of exports and an overwhelming 80.5 percent of imports. In the trade sector, however, small and medium-sized enterprises carried the bulk of exports, reaching 89.0 percent.

The European Union remained the most important destination for industrial exports, absorbing 47.5 percent of shipments. Industry accounted for nearly two-thirds of exports to the EU, while trade enterprises contributed just under one-third. Manufactured goods were the backbone of exports, with industrial firms sending 96.5 percent of their shipments in this category.