Turkey's exports in April were $13.9 billion with a 7.8 percent increase and imports were $20.6 billion witha 15.6 percent increase compared with the same month last year, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said Thursday.
The foreign trade deficit was $6.7 billion, with a 35.6 percent yearly increase, the provisional foreign trade statistics prepared the Turkstat and the Ministry of Customs and Trade showed. "Exports coverage imports was 67.5 percent, while it was 72.3 percent in April 2017," the statement said.
The country's foreign trade balance showed a $27.4 billion deficit from January to April, a yearly increase of 56.2 percent.
Official data showed that Turkey's total exports totaled some $55 billion in the same period, a 8.6 percent year-on-year rise, and imports rose 20.8 percent to $82.5 billion.
Exports to European Union countries showed a 21.5 percent annual hike in the four-month period, while the increase in April was 22 percent with exports standing at $7.3 billion, constituting 50.7 percent of all exports.
The share of EU member countries' share of Turkey's exports was 51.5 percent in the four-month period, reaching $28.4 billion, while imports from the 28-member EU bloc were $30.3 billion, up 23.3 percent annually.
In April, Germany was the leading destination for Turkish exports with $1.36 billion, followed by the U.K. with $852 million, Italy with $784 million and France with $690 million.
Germany was again the leading country in imports at $1.98 billion, followed by Russia with $1.89 billion, China with $1.78 billion and the U.S. with $1.08 billion.
In the four-month period, the top sector for Turkey's exports was vehicles and their parts -- excluding railway or tramway rolling-stock -- with $9.3 billion.
The country imported mineral fuels, minerals oils, and product of their distillation the most this January-April, totaling $13.4 billion.
TurkStat also said manufacturing industry products made up 93.8 percent of total exports in the same period, while intermediate goods took first place in imports with 75.9 percent.
Turkey's exports reached their peak in 2014 -- $157.6 billion -- but came close to that last year, with nearly $157 billion, according to TurkStat.
Over the past five years, the highest proportion of imports covered by exports was seen in 2016 with 71.8 percent, while the country's foreign trade deficit fell from $99.8 billion in 2013 to $76.8 billion last year.
Exports of consumption goods rose 10.9 percent on a yearly basis -- the highest increase among broad economic categories -- and Turkey's imports of intermediate goods were up 20.3 percent compared to same month last year.
As for economic activities, exports of fisheries saw the best performance in April -- a 20.1 percent yearly rise -- while imports of agriculture, hunting, and forestry climbed the most, up 21.3 percent year-on-year.
"Compared with the same month last year, exports to the EU-28 increased by 22 percent from $5.7 billion to some $7 billion," TurkStat said. "The proportion of the EU countries was 50.7 percent in April 2018 while it was 44.8 percent in April 2017."
TurkStat will release its next foreign trade report on June 29.