Turkey exported tomato paste to 69 countries during the first two months of this year with a 12.3% year-on-year increase in export volume, according to recent data.

An Anadolu Agency (AA) report published Tuesday, which cited Uludağ Exporters Union (UIB) data, said the country exported $26.6 million worth of products to 69 countries worldwide during the January-February period of 2020.

Iraq ranked first among those countries in exports with $17.8 million, a 7% increase when compared to the year before. Tomato paste exports to Iraq consisted of 67% of total foreign sales.

Japan followed Iraq, while the volume of the product sold to the Asian country decreased to $1.8 million from the $2 million recorded last year. Meanwhile, Germany ranked third in foreign exports, increasing by 64%. The export volume to the country reached $1.5 million from $947,000.

Turkey’s tomato paste exports to Saudi Arabia have, on the other hand, quadrupled, recording $1.3 million in volume from only $323,000 in the same period of 2019.

Exports to the Netherlands have also recorded an increase, from $11,000 to $170,000.

Belgium, which was sent $656 worth of product in the same period last year, imported $84,000 worth of tomato paste from January to February 2020.

Turkey also recorded $95,000, $32,000, $18,000 and $3,000 worth of tomato paste exports to Italy, Pakistan, Finland and Ukraine, respectively, four countries that did not purchase tomato paste from the country during the same period in 2019.

The data also revealed that Turkey has exported over $1,000 worth of tomato paste to Kosovo, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Tajikistan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Angola, where the country did not export the product in January-February 2019.