The Turkish woodworking machinery sector reached $69 million in exports in the first seven months of 2026, while imports amounted to $63.5 million. Despite a 16.1% decline in exports compared to the same period last year, the sector recorded a foreign trade surplus of approximately $5.5 million. Spain rose to first place in exports, while more than half of imports were made from China.
The January-July 2026 results compiled by AIMSAD Intelligence from TUIK data revealed that the difference between exports and imports in the woodworking machinery sector narrowed significantly. In the first seven months of the year, the sector’s exports amounted to $69 million, while imports stood at $63.5 million. While exports, which were $82.2 million in the same period last year, declined by 16.1%, imports increased by 4.8%. Thus, the foreign trade surplus, which was $21.6 million in the first seven months of 2025, fell to approximately $5.5 million this year.
A notable change in ranking occurred in the sector’s export markets in the first seven months of the year. Spain ranked first on the list with exports of $4.39 million, while Bulgaria ranked second with $4.18 million and Poland ranked third with $3.83 million. Russia, which was in the leading position in the same period last year, fell to fifth place this year with $2.87 million. Syria ranked fourth with exports of $3.63 million, while the US, Kosovo, Egypt, Iraq and Romania were also among the top 10 markets.
The rise of Bulgaria stood out particularly in the export ranking. Bulgaria’s rise from ninht place last year to second place this year shows that European markets continue to maintain their importance for the sector, while sales to nearby markets such as Syria, Kosovo, Egypt and Iraq also revealed that the regional diversity of exports was maintained.
94% of imports came from three countries
On the import side, concentration presented a more pronounced picture. Imports of woodworking machinery from China reached $32.36 million in the first seven months of the year and accounted for approximately 51% of total imports. China was followed by Italy with $15 million and Germany with $12.41 million. Total imports from these three countries accounted for approximately 94% of the sector’s imports.
Following Taiwan and Austria, Poland, the US, Hungary, France and Finland were also among the top 10 suppliers. Brazil, which was one of the important supplier countries last year, remaining outside the top 10 this year was one of the notable developments in the change in source countries. The data show that the distribution of markets on the export side has a relatively broader structure, while the concentration centered on China, Italy and Germany continues in imports.
