Turkish business association pays visit to US for talks with officials

By Hatice Senses Kurukiz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Representatives of a Turkish business association paid a visit on Friday to the US with the aim of strengthening bilateral commercial ties and creating new business opportunities.

A delegation including Mahmut Asmali, the head of the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD), as well as the body's International Business Forum chief Erol Yarar and several board members, met with the management of the SelectUSA summit, affiliated with the US Department of Commerce, according to a statement from MUSIAD.

The meeting addressed areas for bilateral cooperation besides the MUSIAD EXPO 2022 event planned to be held in Istanbul in November 2023 and the Investment Summit to be held on May 1-4.

Also, the MUSIAD delegation gathered with senior officials of the US Chamber of Commerce's Türkiye Business Council to discuss trade ties and regional trade opportunities between the two countries.

Asmali and the accompanying MUSIAD representatives also gathered with World Bank officials to address global economic developments.

In the statement assessing the US visit, Asmali stressed that the positive outlook during the meetings in the US would soon reflect on the field.

On the bilateral trade volume target between Türkiye and the US of $100 billion, Asmali said this would be achieved soon thanks to rising level of exports and imports.

"In the January-August period, Türkiye's exports to the US jumped 24.9% to $11.4 billion, while its imports from the US surged 28% year-on-year to $10.3 billion," Asmali noted.

Highlighting the logistical and strategic importance of Türkiye, Asmali said:

"As MUSIAD, we have an East Coast Strategy to the Americas region. In this context, our country is closer to the eastern coast of America than many countries in terms of logistics. If we use this advantage well, we can boost our influence in the US and the regional market."