UPDATE - Turkey's foreign trade gap at $2.1B in September

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s foreign trade deficit stood at $2.1 billion in September, said the country's statistical authority on Thursday.

TurkStat data indicated a 6.6% year-on-year rise in last month's figure.

Turkish exports rose slightly 0.3% on an annual basis to hit $14.4 billion in the month, while imports climbed 1% to $16.5 billion during the same period.

The exports-to-imports coverage ratio fell to 87.5% last month, down from 88.2% last September.

This September, the country's main trading partner Germany received $1.3 billion worth of Turkish exports or an 8.8% share of total exports.

"The country was followed by the U.K. with $1.1 billion, Italy with $847 million, and Iraq with $778 million," TurkStat said.

The top country for Turkey's imports was Russia with $1.9 billion last month, followed by China, Germany, and the U.S. with $1.54 billion, $1.48 billion, and $1 billion, respectively.

In the January-September period, Turkey's foreign trade gap shrank by 55.7% year-on-year to $22.7 billion.

The country's exports reached $125.8 billion, rising by 2.3% while imports totaled $148.4 billion, down 14.8% during the nine-month period.