The value of exports from Turkey to Russia reached over $700 million in the first two months of this year, a 26% increase compared to a year earlier, official data showed, according to the Daily Sabah.
More than 500,000 tons of products from 27 sectors were sold to Russia in January and February 2020, up from nearly 388,000 tons of goods in the same period last year, a 30% increase. Those sales generated more than $700 million in revenue, up 26% in year-on-year value from just over $555 million, according to data from the Eastern Black Sea Exporters Association (DKİB) presented Sunday.
Fresh fruit and vegetables led the way among goods exported to Russia at $149 million, while $104.4 million worth of the same goods were exported in the same period of 2019, marking a 43% year-on-year increase. Fresh produce was followed by automotive industry exports with $96 million, chemical materials and products with $68.6 million, machinery and accessories with $56.9 million, and ready-to-wear apparel with $50.3 million, the data showed.
Some 40,664 tons of total exports to Russia came from the Eastern Black Sea region, with 20 sectors hitting $30.1 million.
In the same period of the previous year, $26.9 million in revenue was generated from 37,690 tons of goods. Thus, exports from the Eastern Black Sea region to Russia saw an 8% increase in quantity and a 12% jump in value compared to the same period of the previous year.
DKİB Chairman SaffetKalyoncu said exports to Russia started rapidly in the first two months of the year and the expectation is for them to continue.
“We anticipate that exports will continue to increase throughout the year and exceed the 2019 figure, and as in every year and period, the most exported product to the Russian Federation was again fresh fruit and vegetable products,” Kalyoncu noted.
