ISTANBUL

Türkiye's exports amounted to $22.7 billion in November, rising 2.2% year-on-year despite a negative calendar effect, the Turkish trade minister announced on Thursday.

At a news conference in Ankara, Omer Bolat said the country also set a new record with exports reaching $270.6 billion over the last 12 months.

During the first 11 months of the year, the country's exports also amounted to $247.2 billion, rising 3.7% year-on-year.

In that 11-month period, nine months saw a rise in Türkiye's exports, Bolat explained.

The country's imports in November also increased by 2.6% to $30.5 billion, resulting in a foreign trade deficit of $7.8 billion last month.

In the January-November period, the foreign trade deficit was $82.5 billion.

Commenting on the data, Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said the technological composition of the exports has improved.

"High- and medium-high-technology product exports increased by 9.6% annually between January and November, with the share of these groups in manufacturing industry exports rising to 43%," Simsek wrote on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

He emphasized that with the aim of increasing high-technology production and competitiveness, they continue to implement active industrial policies and further strengthen support for productive sectors.