The Republic of Turkey is a transcontinental nation straddling both Western Asia and Southeast Europe.

Given its vast land area of 302,455 square miles (783,356 kilometers), Turkey’s population experience a wide range of climates–sometimes at the same time. That variety has earned Turkey the nickname the land of four seasons.

The strategically located Eurasian country is home to 85.2 million people.

Turkey is also an attractive market for selling imported goods because the Turkish economy is the world’s eleventh richest in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a Purchasing Power Parity basis. Turkey ranks among the top 50 wealthiest countries in terms of GDP per capita.

The 100 most valuable consumer products imported into Turkey in 2020 generated a subtotal US$93 billion worth of international spending. That consumer-specific dollar amount represents 42.4% of the overall value of all goods imported into Turkey. Turkey’s overall spending on all imports, including raw materials and intermediate products, totaled $219.5 billion.

Among Turkey’s most valuable imported consumer products in 2020 are: gold; cars; refined petroleum oil; automobile parts or accessories; and phones including smartphones.

Total spending on Turkey’s top 100 imported consumer products increased by 24.4% from 2019 to 2020. Turkey’s top 100 consumer metric was more aggressive than the 4.4% gain for all of Turkey’s imported goods for the year.

The boost in Turkish demand for imported consumer products far exceeded the global average change, which was a drop of -8.2% from 2019 to 2020 for all importing countries around the world.

Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Turkey, 65 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas 35 declined.

Changes in Turkish consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.

Consumer Products Defined

Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.

Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.

Types of Consumer Products

This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.

Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.

Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.

Speciality Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.

Turkey’s Most Valuable Imported Convenience Products

The list below showcases the most valuable imported convenience products on which buyers in Turkey spent the most. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented in descending order.

You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2021 to 2022 by focusing on the percentages displayed to the right of each product name.

Processed petroleum oils: US$6,332,964,000 (down -33.4%)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $2,910,654,000 (up 16.7%)
Medications: $2,449,946,000 (up 44.4%)
Soya beans: $1,235,178,000 (down -24.2%)
Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil: $712,313,000 (down -12.3%)
Miscellaneous plastic items: $708,633,000 (up 61.7%)
Sunflower seeds: $649,831,000 (down -6.4%)
Dried shelled vegetables: $569,150,000 (up 23.7%)
Other organic cleaning preparations: $553,424,000 (up 42.4%)
Palm oil: $527,476,000 (up 6.7%)
Other food preparations: $504,350,000 (up 4.3%)
Corn: $487,056,000 (down -5.5%)
Miscellaneous nuts: $463,084,000 (up 15.1%)
Uncoated paper (write/printing): $451,787,000 (down -16.1%)
Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $381,223,000 (up 9.8%)
Cocoa beans: $341,528,000 (down -12.8%)
Rice: $291,739,000 (up 8%)
Coffee: $204,221,000 (up 14.8%)
Antibiotics: $184,952,000 (down -1.5%)
Bananas, plantains: $170,694,000 (up 14.3%)
Barley: $164,934,000 (up 7.4%)
Coffee/tea extracts, concentrates: $155,897,000 (down -27.2%)
Medication mixes not in dosage: $148,110,000 (up 33.3%)
Sowing seeds, fruits, spores: $145,199,000 (down -14.6%)
Pipe/chewing/snuff tobaccos: $143,760,000 (down -15.3%)
Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): $128,659,000 (down -49.7%)
Provitamins, vitamins: $119,798,000 (down -27.8%)
Malt extract, food preparations: $116,626,000 (up 1,383%)
Sugar (cane or beet): $109,242,000 (down -15.3%)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: $107,897,000 (up 49.5%)
Prepared waxes: $107,153,000 (down -14.7%)

Convenience products led by the products listed above represent the country’s second-most popular import product type attracting Turkey’s most spending after shopping products.

Non-durable consumer products are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.

Turkey’s Most Valuable Imported Shopping Products

Below, the list highlights the most valuable imported shopping products on which buyers in Turkey spent the greatest amounts. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented from highest to lowest total amounts.

The percentages displayed to the right of each product name reveal the highest increases or decreases in Turkish spending on that specific type of shopping product from 2021 to 2022.

Cars: US$7,928,656,000 (up 124.2%)
Automobile parts/accessories: $6,240,632,000 (up 11.3%)
Phones: $5,227,611,000 (up 0.9%)
Computers, optical readers: $2,675,384,000 (down -4.2%)
Hot-roll iron/non-alloy steel items: $2,151,375,000 (up 7.8%)
Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $1,140,911,000 (up 14.3%)
Insulated wire/cable: $963,144,000 (up 1.5%)
Electrical converters/power units: $940,516,000 (up 25.9%)
Trucks: $911,971,000 (up 8%)
Rubber tires (new): $824,865,000 (down -9.8%)
Miscellaneous iron or steel items: $625,976,000 (up 3.2%)
Tractors: $541,921,000 (up 0.1%)
Printing machinery: $523,652,000 (up 20.5%)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: $464,234,000 (up 16.7%)
Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins: $456,242,000 (up 12.8%)
Vulcanized rubber items: $386,213,000 (up 0.2%)
Seats (not barber/dentist chairs): $321,350,000 (up 3.9%)
Paints, varnishes: $308,140,000 (up 28.8%)
Orthopedic appliances: $301,860,000 (up 3.7%)
Yachts, canoes, row boats: $285,378,000 (up 1.5%)
Vulcanized rubber apparel: $253,298,000 (up 10.4%)
Prepared glues, adhesives: $221,419,000 (up 101.7%)
Trailers: $216,571,000 (up 0.5%)
Meat/fish/crustacean flours, pellets: $209,017,000 (down -8.3%)
Microphones/headphones/amps: $204,244,000 (up 27.5%)
Footwear (textile): $201,546,000 (up 6.2%)
Computer parts, accessories: $193,534,000 (up 8.8%)
Unrecorded sound media: $192,412,000 (up 34.9%)
Women’s clothing (not knit/crochet): $189,792,000 (up 17.7%)
Hair preparations: $169,984,000 (down -6.2%)
Lubricant preparations, anti-rust: $158,243,000 (up 9.7%)
Footwear (leather): $157,611,000 (up 6.3%)
Cases, handbags, wallets: $157,144,000 (up 11%)
Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): $144,002,000 (down -6.5%)
Motorcycles: $143,009,000 (up 4.7%)
T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $141,942,000 (down -48.9%)
Miscellaneous toys: $138,315,000 (up 77.2%)
Wrist/pocket watches (regular case): $133,836,000 (up 1.5%)
Locks, lock-keys: $130,869,000 (up 17.4%)
Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet): $130,820,000 (down -11.9%)
Electric lamps: $126,325,000 (up 20.6%)
Motorcycle parts/accessories: $126,042,000 (up 2.3%)
Miscellaneous furniture: $125,441,000 (up 20.5%)
Caps, lids, corks, pouring stoppers: $113,808,000 (up 4.3%)
Men’s coats (unknit/non-crochet): $110,160,000 (down -2.8%)
Other pharmaceutical preparations: $107,367,000 (up 3.9%)
Women’s coats (unknit/non-crochet): $104,072,000 (up 13.3%)

Focusing on the scope of this analysis, shopping products is Turkey’s most popular category ahead of both convenience products and speciality items.

Shopping products approach half (47) of the overall top 100 Turkish imported consumer goods.

Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. Note that shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Turkey’s Most Valuable Imported Speciality Products

Speciality products represent the category with the fewest entries among Turkey’s imports that attracted the country’s spending on imported consumer goods during 2020.

Selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level, the most valuable speciality items are listed in descending order below.

The percentage to the right of each product name reveal highest increases or decreases in 2020 compared to 2019.

Gold (unwrought): US$25,183,792,000 (up 123.5%)
Liquid pumps: $1,051,081,000 (down -4.6%)
Electric generating sets, converters: $1,010,219,000 (up 15.7%)
Jewelry: $764,534,000 (down -6%)
Nitrogenous fertilizers: $677,344,000 (down -2.3%)
Electric storage batteries: $602,751,000 (up 36.6%)
Temperature-change machines: $527,266,000 (up 26.7%)
Air conditioners: $495,291,000 (down -11.9%)
Silver (unwrought): $460,239,000 (down -9.7%)
Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $382,548,000 (down -0.2%)
Fertilizer mixes: $365,640,000 (up 17.9%)
Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines : $341,020,000 (up 37.6%)
Refrigerators, freezers: $301,757,000 (down -3.8%)
Household base metal mountings: $295,588,000 (up 5.5%)
Beauty/makeup/skin care: $255,811,000 (down -4.4%)
Compasses, other navigational aids: $219,157,000 (up 4.2%)
Special hand/machine tools: $216,858,000 (down -1.9%)
Speed/distance meters: $185,141,000 (down -19.9%)
Vacuum cleaners: $171,316,000 (down -6.5%)
Sewing machines, related furniture: $135,743,000 (down -14.4%)
Liquid crystal/laser/optical tools: $128,859,000 (up 179.7%)
Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $122,622,000 (up 19.3%)

Like shopping products, speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Based on the product types identified in the sections above, 69 of Turkey’s 100 highest-value consumer shopper plus speciality products are durable while the remaining 31 convenience products are classified as non-durable.

Turkey’s Overall Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports

Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Turkey that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.

Malt extracts, food preparations: Up 1,383% ($116.6 million)
Liquid crystal/laser/optical tools: Up 179.7% ($128.9 million)
Cars: Up 124.2% ($7.9 billion)
Gold: Up 123.5% ($25.2 billion)
Prepared glues, adhesives: Up 101.7% ($221.4 million)
Miscellaneous toys: Up 77.2% ($138.3 million)
Miscellaneous plastic items: Up 61.7% ($708.7 million)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: Up 49.5% ($107.9 million)
Medications: Up 44.4% ($2.4 billion)
Other organic cleaning preparations: Up 42.4% ($553.4 million)

Half among the above top 10 gainers qualify as durable goods that consumers can re-use over time. Three of those durable items with accelerating sales to importers in Turkey are shopping products specifically cars, prepared glues and adhesives, and miscellaneous toys.

The 2 top growers that are speciality goods are liquid, laser or optical tools, and gold,

The remaining fastest growers are convenience products led by malt extracts and other food preparations.

Turkey’s Overall Worst-Declining Consumer Imports

Spending by import buyers in Turkey on the following 10 items decreased in value at the severest rates from 2019 to 2020.

Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): Down -49.7% ($128.7 million)
Knitted or crocheted t-shirts, vests: Down -48.9% ($141.9 million)
Processed petroleum oils: Down -33.4% ($6.3 billion)
Provitamins, vitamins: Down -27.8% ($119.8 million)
Extracts or concentrates from coffee, tea: Down -27.2% ($155.9 million)
Soya beans: Down -24.2% ($1.2 billion)
Speed or distance meters: Down -19.9% ($185.1 million)
Uncoated paper for writing/printing: Down -16.1% ($451.8 million)
Pipe, chewing or snuff tobaccos: Down -15.3% ($143.8 million)
Sugar: Down -15.3% ($109.2 million)

Eight categories among Turkish top 10 severest decliners are non-durable convenience products consumed one time. The worst losers were alcohol spirits and liqueurs, processed petroleum oils, provitamins and vitamins, and extracts or concentrates from coffee or tea.

The remaining major import decliners were 2 types of durable goods.

For speciality products, the worst performer were speed or distance meters while the poorest performing shopping products were knitted or crocheted t-shirts or vests.

Key Product Suppliers by Country

This analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for 5 of Turkey’s top consumer import products.

Turkey’s biggest imported consumer product by value is gold. The other 4 leading consumer goods imported into Turkey are cars, processed petroleum oils, automobile parts or accessories, and phones.

Below, you will find major supplying countries for imported Turkish:

Gold: Iraq (31.5% of total), Switzerland (24.4%), United Arab Emirates (20.3%), Libya (5.2%), Germany (3.7%), United Kingdom (2.7%), Belgium (1.8%), Russia (1.6%), Peru (0.9%), and Ghana (0.8%).

Cars: Germany (32.3% of total), Spain (13.6%), Czech Republic (10.6%), France (9.1%), United Kingdom (5.5%), Romania (4.9%), Slovakia (3.4%), Poland (2.9%), Sweden (2.5%), and South Korea (2.2%).

Processed petroleum oils: Russia (42.7% of total), India (15.5%), Israel (8.8%), Greece (7.0%), Italy (3.2%), Bulgaria (2.5%), Egypt (2.1%), Georgia (2.0%), Netherlands (1.9%), and Spain (1.5%).

Automobile parts or accessories: Germany (19.5% of total), Italy (9.9%), France (8.7%), Japan (8.7%), China (7.3%), Poland (5%), Czech Republic (also 5%), India (4.7%), Spain (4.4%), and South Korea (4.2%).

Phones: China (73.9% of total), Vietnam (9.5%), India (2.7%), United States (1.7%), Mexico (also 1.7%), Taiwan (1.6%), Malaysia (1.5%), Germany (0.9%), Thailand (0.8%), and Hungary (0.7%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.

BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Turkey Economy.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Richest Country Reports, Top 100 Richest Countries by GDP.

Trading Economics, Turkey Consumer Spending.

Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.

Wikipedia, Turkey.

World’s Top Exports, Turkeys Top 10 Imports.