Turkey-Illinois Trade Is Growing

We see major progress in the trade development between Turkey and Illinois.

The business world in Illinois consists of major actors from a wide range of industries. The retail and industrial product sectors can be said to be the leaders in this regard. Companies such as Boeing, United Airlines, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Caterpillar are among the biggest in Illinois.

We see a major progress in the trade development between Turkey and Illinois. Turkey’s exports to Illinois has increased by 231.4% and reached up to $353.9 million from 2009 to 2018. Within the same period, our imports from Illinois increased by 45.2 per cent to $193.4 million. As you can see, the balance of trade is more in our favor. Our exports mostly consist of transportation equipment, metal, machinery, electrical equipment, household appliances, and food products. And we mostly import beverages and tobacco products, computers and electronic products, machinery parts, chemicals, and agricultural products.

Illinois also has the largest number of Turkish investments in the US. Leading Turkish companies in white goods, metal, aluminium, and synthetic products have made investments in Illinois. They employ hundreds of Americans. On the other hand, the US’s Illinois-based leading companies in the healthcare and aviation sectors such as Abbot, Abbvie, and Boeing have made investments in Turkey. Considering our increasing investment and exports, it would be correct to say that there is great potential in these sectors.

Deputy Chairperson at TAİK Illinois Committee and Board Member at Nurol Energy Oğuzhan Çarmıklı