Turkish exports to China gain ground, doubling year-on-year in first six months

Turkish exports to the world's top exporter, China, more than doubled in the first six months of 2010 year-on-year, according to newly released figures. During this period Turkey sold $1.11 billion worth of goods to China, which has been set as a primary destination for Turkish exporters in the government's new export strategy. With this 105 percent surge, Turkey saw a higher increase in exports to China in the first half of the year than any other country. Currently China's share of Turkey's overall exports is 2 percent, according to the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat). In the same period last year, Turkey's exports to China totaled $530 million. Turkey's imports from China were also on the rise during this period, up 39.8 percent from $5.52 billion to $7.71 billion year-on-year, driving China's share of Turkey's overall imports to 9.3 percent. China has a trade surplus with all its trading partners, except countries it imports oil from. After China, Spain was the country with the biggest percentage increase in imports from Turkey, rising 46.7 percent in the first six months year-on-year. It was followed by Saudi Arabia, where imports from Turkey rose 46.5 percent in the same period.