In the first 9 months of this year, the agriculture, food and beverage sector exported $18.86 billion, an increase of 5.37%, and imported $16.85 billion, an increase of 8.92% compared to the same period last year.
According to the statement made by the Federation of Turkish Food and Beverage Industry Associations (TGDF), which was prepared based on the Foreign Trade Data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), as of September, on a monthly basis, exports increased by 7.71% compared to the same period last year, reaching $2 billion 330 million, while imports decreased by 21.68% and reached $1 billion 310 million.
In September, wheat imports increased by 20.8%, while soybean imports decreased by 18.9%.
After July and August, the most striking development in September was the increase in cattle imports. Cattle imports increased by 799% this month. While cattle imports amounted to $705.5 million in the 9 months of the year, the amount of imports in September alone was $126.8 million.
The largest share in cattle imports in September belonged to Brazil with $56.6 million, followed by Uruguay with $33.3 million and the Czech Republic with $9.5 million.
The foreign trade balance gave a surplus in the agriculture, food and beverage sectors for 9 months of the year.
The foreign trade balance, which had a surplus of $940 million in the January-August period, reached a surplus of $2.01 billion in the January-September period.
Although the sector had a foreign trade surplus in the January-September period, the foreign trade surplus, which was $2.43 billion in the January-September period last year, decreased by 17.72% in the same period this year. As of September, the foreign trade balance reached a surplus of $1.02 billion on a monthly basis.
In the first 9 months of the year, unit export value decreased by 2.23% compared to the same period last year, reaching 1,170 dollars/ton. The import unit value decreased by 10.99% compared to the same period last year and reached 621 dollars/ton.
Featured products in foreign trade
Among the prominent products in exports in the 9 months of the year, flour took the first place with $1 billion 102.9 million. This product was followed by refined sunflower oil with $727 million and hazelnut kernels with $616.3 million. These products constituted approximately 13.9% of total exports as of January-September period. In the same period, the most imported product was wheat with $2 billion 832.4 million. Wheat was followed by soybeans with $1 billion 422.1 million and crude sunflower oil with $1 billion 99 million. These 3 products constituted 31.7% of total imports as of January-September period.
When evaluated on a monthly basis, Durum wheat took the first place among the leading export products in September with $147.6 million, followed by wheat flour with $134.7 million and corn grain with $95.6 million. In the same month, the most imported products were cattle with $126.8 million, wheat with $111.4 million and soybeans with $108.5 million.
Russia and Ukraine maintained their first place in imports
Wheat took the first place in imports in the 9 months of the year with $2 billion 833 million. Russia and Ukraine continued to be the top two countries from which wheat was imported the most. During this period, wheat was imported from Russia worth $2 billion 88.7 million and from Ukraine worth $702.2 million. The share of these two countries in total wheat imports was approximately 98.5%.
On a monthly basis, $98.1 million of the $126.8 million of wheat imports in September were from Russia. After Russia, $12.5 million worth of wheat was imported from Ukraine.
After wheat, soybeans worth $1 billion 422.1 million and crude sunflower oil worth $1 billion 99.6 million were imported in the 9 months of the year.
Brazil ranked first in soybean imports with $891.4 million, followed by Ukraine and the USA. In sunflower oil, the ranking was Ukraine with $694.8 million, Russia with $387.6 million and Bulgaria with $15.7 million.
The majority of imports of the top 3 products in Turkiye’s imports continued to be made from Russia and Ukraine.
Sectors with the most exports and imports
When the 9-month foreign trade data of the year was examined by sectors, it was seen that the highest export was made in the sugar and confectionery products sector with $2 billion 32 million. This sector was followed by vegetable oil, fresh fruit, pasta and nuts sectors, respectively.
The share of the sugar and confectionery sector in total exports was 10.77%, the vegetable oil sector 9.6%, the fresh fruit sector 8.27%, the pasta sector 7% and the nuts sector 6.7%.
In the same period, the highest imports were in the animal feed sector with $4 billion 312 million. Following this sector, the sectors that import the most are flour, vegetable oil, live animal trade, cocoa and chocolate.
The share of the animal feed sector in total imports was 25.5%, the flour sector 18.2%, the vegetable oil sector 16.7%, the live animal trade sector 4.3% and the cocoa and chocolate sector 3.5%.
Countries that stand out in foreign trade
When foreign trade data was evaluated on a country basis in the first 9 months of this year, the country with the most exports was Iraq with $2 billion 206 million. After Iraq, the highest exports were made to Germany with $1 billion 332 million, Russia with $1 billion 302 million, the USA with $1 billion 184 million and Italy with 825 million. In the first 9 months of the year, exports to these 5 countries constituted 36.31% of total exports.
In the same period, the highest import on a country basis was from Russia with $4 billion 148 million. This country was followed by Ukraine with $2 billion 385 million, Brazil with $1 billion 537 million, the USA with $772 million and Malaysia with $750 million. Imports from these 5 countries constituted 56.92% of total imports.
Russia and Ukraine maintained their place in the top 2 countries from which Turkiye imports the most. Imports from these two countries are equivalent to 38.77% of total imports. Turkiye exported flour, frozen chicken meat, red lentils to Iraq, one of the countries it exported the most in the first 9 months of the year, packaged hazelnuts, hazelnut kernels and cherries to Germany, and trout, peaches and tangerines to Russia.
In the same period, Turkiye imported wheat, corn, raw sunflower from Russia, from which it imported the most, wheat, crude sunflower oil, soybeans from Ukraine, and soybeans, cattle and coffee from Brazil.
Source: Trthaber / Prepared by Irem Yildiz