ISTANBUL

Turkiye’s share in the global trade exceeded 1% for the first time last year, the nation’s president said on Monday, citing the newly announced 2021 export figures.

While the global goods trade decreased 10% in 2021, Turkiye achieved to increase its exports by 33%, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters following a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Compared to 2002, when Turkiye’s annual exports were $36 billion, they increased by six times, he stressed, as Monday’s figures showed that the country’s exports reached $225.37 billion last year.

He also said that Turkiye’s foreign trade volume hit almost $500 billion in 2021, while it could not reach $88 billion in 2002.

Last year, the foreign trade deficit decreased to $46 billion, while the export-import coverage ratio reached 83%, which was 51% in the early 2000s.

In tourism field, Turkiye hosted 29 million foreign visitors in 2021 and earned $24 billion, up by 83% and 100%, respectively, compared to 2020.

The country’s new tourism target is to surpass the pre-pandemic level, Erdogan said.

Copyright 2022 Anadolu Agency. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.