Turkey's machinery exports reached $8.3 billion in the first half of 2018, the Machinery Exporters' Association (MAİB) said yesterday in a press statement. Exports also jumped by 20 percent compared to the same period last year. "Machinery production and its prices are rising more than other sectors," Kutlu Karavelioğlu, the chairman of MAİB, said.

Turkey's machinery exports to Germany, the U.S., and the U.K., which are the country's largest importers, rose by around 20 percent, he noted. He added that machinery exports to Russia and Romania rose by around 50 percent while exports to the Netherlands and Uzbekistan jumped by nearly 70 percent. Karavelioğlu said Turkey's machinery exports' rising ratio is more than all other countries globally.

The share of machinery in the country's total exports - $81.9 billion - in a six-month period amounted to 10.1 percent.

MAİB aims to reach $18 billion machinery exports by the end of 2018, Karavelioğlu said.