Türkiye's exports to Spain, one of its closest allies in the European Union, saw an all-time high in January, according to official data.
Shipments soared 11.3% on an annual basis to $774 million (TL 27.85 billion), the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) data showed.
The pace reflects robust relations between Ankara and Madrid. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Madrid last June, said last week that Spain's relations with Türkiye should strengthen.
The Turkish Trade Ministry listed Spain among the 55 target countries for exports this year. Despite the volatility in Europe, Spain's industrial demand remains strong.
Automotive industry products ranked first among Turkish exports to Spain, totaling $255.6 million in January, the data showed.
Chemicals reached $139.3 million, ready-to-wear apparel made up $125.2 million, textiles and raw materials accounted for $44.8 million, and electricity and electronics exports totaled $39.1 million.
Auto industry shipments rose the most by $84.9 million on an annual basis, followed by chemicals with a $30.5 million increase, textiles and raw materials with a $7.5 million rise, ferrous and non-ferrous metal with a $6.4 million uptick, and air conditioning sector with a $4.2 million increase.
Vicente Balbin, chief representative of Türkiye at Spain-based Banco Sabadell, says the bilateral trade between the two countries has been steady, a testament to the strong relations, despite ups and downs in the economies of Türkiye and Spain.
Balbin told Anadolu Agency (AA) that trade relations are not focused on a specified product or dependent on commercial activity, but spanning across sectors.
He said that the steady growth between the two countries is expected to continue to grow.
