Large enterprises that employ up to 250 people accounted for 41.6 percent of exports, while their share in imports was 61.4 percent in 2021, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).
Micro enterprises with up to nine employees were responsible for 19.7 percent of exports and made up of 63 percent of exporting companies. The share of medium-sized companies, which employ between 50 to 249 workers, was 19.4 percent.
Large enterprises also accounted for 61.4 percent of imports.
The Industry sector was at the forefront of international trade. Industrial companies’ share of exports and imports was 55.5 percent and 54.8 percent, respectively, while the share of trade was 40.9 percent and 32 percent.
Within the industry, large enterprises took the lead in exports at 67.2 percent and accounted for 54.8 percent of imports, whereas in the trade sector small and medium-sized companies dominated foreign trade with a 92 percent share in exports.
Industrial companies’ largest market was the European Union. The bloc absorbed 47 percent of those enterprises’ exports last year and the share of non-EU countries in Europe was 13.2 percent. Some 33.4 percent of the goods large companies imported came from the EU.
The top 500 companies accounted for 60.7 percent of exports and 76 percent of imports in 2021. The share of the top 5 exporting companies was 12.5 percent.
Data also showed that 43.5 percent of companies made export to a single country and 16.6 percent to two countries. The number of companies making exports to 20 and more nations was 2.1 percent but their share in total exports was 58.9 percent.