Ruhsar Pekcan

The "contactless trade" method launched amid the coronavirus pandemic is continuing successfully, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan has said, adding that the number of commercial vehicles passing through customs has increased since March, when the method was launched.

The Turkish Trade Ministry will organize virtual trade delegations, fairs and e-marketplaces in collaboration with exporters' associations, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan has said.

Turkey's automotive exports decreased by 10% to stand at $6.98 billion year-on-year in the first quarter due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Uludağ Automotive Industry Exporters Association said.

The country's automotive exports were $7.75 billion in the first quarter of 2019, the association's data showed on March 5. 

Turkey's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was at 48.1 this March, down from 52.4 in February, posting below the 50 no-change mark for the first time in three months.

According to the Istanbul Chamber of Industry PMI Manufacturing Index report, prepared in cooperation with global data firm IHS Markit, output and new orders both softened, while firms scaled back purchasing activity.

Turkey has launched the mass production of respirators with 1,000 products on the manufacturing line for the Health Ministry to use, along with 5,000 others ordered, Science and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said on March 26. 

Turkish tomato exports to Russia have resumed on March 7 after a month-long disruption due to the yearly quota limit.

Moscow decided to lift the yearly quote from 150,000 tons to 200,000 tons after some containers carrying Turkish tomatoes were returned last month, saying that the quota limit was already met.

The Turkish Trade Ministry launched its online Trade Academy on March 5 in a bid to strengthen business culture and consciousness across the country, according to the trade minister.

Hundreds of domestic and international players in the flour industry will gather next week in Turkey's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya.

The Turkish Flour Industrialists' Federation (TFIF) will hold its 16th International Congress and Exhibition under the theme, Wheat and Flour: Production, Trade and Sustainability from March 12-15.

Turkey has subjected protective products such as masks, goggles, and sterile gloves to export controls, according to a regulation published in the Official Gazette on March 4.  

The move aims to meet domestic demand as the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, continues to spread worldwide, Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan told a press conference in the capital Ankara.

Turkey's exports and imports increased on an annual basis in February, the trade minister said on March 3.

Turkish exports rose 2.3 percent year-on-year to reach $14.7 billion last month, while imports went up 9.9 percent to hit $17.7 billion in the same period, Ruhsar Pekcan said in a written statement.