In the first quarter of 2026, the Turkish woodworking machinery sector maintained a balanced foreign trade outlook with exports reaching USD 27.45 million and imports totaling USD 27.46 million. Bulgaria, Poland and Spain stood out among export markets, while China, Italy and Germany remained the leading import suppliers.
According to data prepared by AIMSAD Intelligence, the Turkish woodworking machinery sector exported a total of USD 27.45 million between January and March 2026. During the same period, imports amounted to USD 27.46 million, resulting in a limited foreign trade deficit of approximately USD 10 thousand.
In the first three months of 2026, Bulgaria became the leading export market for the sector. Exports to Bulgaria reached USD 2.67 million, followed by Poland with USD 1.81 million and Spain with USD 1.66 million. These countries were followed respectively by Syria, Kosovo, the Russian Federation, Iraq, Georgia, Egypt and Morocco. The top 10 export markets accounted for 53.2% of total exports, indicating that the sector’s exports continue to concentrate on specific markets. In particular, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and nearby regions continued to play a decisive role in the export performance of the Turkish woodworking machinery sector.
China, Italy and Germany Led Imports
China became Türkiye’s largest woodworking machinery import partner in the January–March 2026 period. Imports from China totaled USD 12.39 million, accounting for 45.1% of total imports alone. Italy ranked second with USD 7.48 million, while Germany followed with USD 5.23 million. The combined share of China, Italy and Germany reached 91.5% of total imports, highlighting the sector’s strong dependence on these three countries for machinery supply. Poland, Taiwan, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, France and Czechia were also among Türkiye’s woodworking machinery import partners.
“Other Machines” Group Ranked First in Exports
When export product groups were analyzed, machines classified under the “others” category ranked first with exports worth USD 8.7 million in the January–March 2026 period. Sawing machines ranked second with USD 6.7 million, followed by planing, milling or moulding by cutting machines with USD 3.2 million. These three product groups accounted for approximately 68.1% of total exports. The figures showed that the sector maintained its export capability in general-purpose machinery, sawing machines and shaping-oriented machine groups.
Sawing Machines Led Imports
On the import side, sawing machines ranked first with imports totaling USD 5.6 million in the first quarter of 2026. Machines capable of carrying out different operations without tool changes ranked second with USD 5.3 million, while machining centres followed in third place with USD 4.9 million. These three product groups accounted for approximately 58.3% of total imports.
