The export climate for Turkish manufacturers continued to improve moderately in February, a survey released on Monday showed.
The Manufacturing Export Climate Index, which tracks the performance of Türkiye's top export markets, remained unchanged at 52.1 in February, the same level recorded in January, the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) said.
The index has now stayed above the 50 threshold for 26 consecutive months, signaling continued improvement in demand conditions across key export markets.
Any reading above 50 indicates improving export market conditions, while values below that level point to deterioration.
The latest data suggests that the export environment for manufacturers remained moderately supportive midway through the first quarter of the year, with demand conditions strengthening without interruption for more than two years.
Economic activity increased in seven of the 10 largest export markets for Turkish manufacturers in February, the survey said.
All of the top four markets, together accounting for more than a quarter of Türkiye’s manufacturing exports, were among those posting growth.
Expansion remained strong in Germany and the United Kingdom, although the pace of growth in the U.K. slowed slightly compared with January. In Germany, growth accelerated to its fastest pace in four months.
In the United States, economic activity continued to increase, but the rate of expansion slowed to the weakest level in four months.
Outside Europe, non-oil economic activity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expanded strongly, with growth reaching its fastest pace in 22 months.
Among the economies tracked by the survey, the UAE recorded the second-fastest growth after Singapore.
However, production declined in several important export destinations, including France, Romania and Poland.
While the downturn in France and Poland eased compared with January, Romania saw a sharp contraction in manufacturing output. The decline was the steepest since the survey began in July 2023. Romania accounts for roughly 3% of Türkiye’s manufacturing exports.
Meanwhile, February data pointed to strong production growth in China, with the pace of expansion reaching its highest level since May 2023.
Andrew Harker, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said improving demand conditions in most key export markets could support new business opportunities for Turkish manufacturers in the coming months.
Harker added that it remains to be seen whether recently announced U.S. tariffs will affect these trends, but for now the overall tone of the global economy appears broadly positive.
