Turkey favours trade boost with US despite tariffs

Turkey aims to increase bilateral trade with the US to $100 billion, despite facing a 10 percent traffic from the Trump administration, according to a news report.

Ankara is working towards removing the new tariffs imposed by Washington, Hurriet Daily News an English daily, reported citing trade minister Ömer Bolat.

The country is ramping up trade diplomacy and pushing for direct negotiation for tariff relief on exports, he said.

He said that Turkey plans to intensify trade activities with the US and strengthen economic cooperation, considering the new tariff regime.

Bolat said the measures are being developed in major sectors, including textiles, ready-to-wear apparel, and machinery, to minimise the impact of the tariffs and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

The countries will convene a trade and investment council meeting as soon as possible, with Bolat slated to attend a Turkish-American conference in Washington in May. He will hold talks with the US commerce secretary and the trade representative to outline a joint business plan, the report said.

In 2024, bilateral trade rose 5 percent to $35.2 billion, with the US accounting for 6 percent of Turkey’s total exports.

The US reportedly has a $2.4 billion trade surplus with Turkey, the newspaper said.