NEW ROADMAP SUGGESTION

The trade volume with Croatia reached $665.8 million in 2019.

The reached point is far below the potential of both countries despite the 65% increase in trade volume in the 5 years between 2014-2019. Our 2 thousand 177 companies exported $426.8 million from Turkey to Croatia in 2019. Automotive, electric-electronic, ready-to-wear, machinery, and steel sectors stand out in Turkey’s exports to Croatia. Turkey exported $106 million to Croatia in automotive, $78 million in electrical and electronics, $44 million in apparel, $37 million in steel, and $27 million in machinery. The total share of these 5 sectors in our exports is over 65%. The iron and steel and machinery sectors account for 62% of the total exports in Croatia’s exports to Turkey. Croatia’s top five imports from the world were about $4.4 billion while imports from Turkey were only $1.3 million. Croatia imports $341 million in beverages, cigarettes, animal feeds, and various iron and steel products; however, Croatia did not import from Turkey despite the fact that our country has a competitive advantage in international markets in these products.

Turkey ranks 19th among the countries that Croatia imports the most. I think Turkey should rank higher on this list considering both the logistics opportunities and the deep-rooted relations between the two countries. We must first increase co-operation, increasing Turkey’s share in Croatia’s imports from 1.5% to 3%, as in 2010 to do this.

A new roadmap can be created to diversify the products subject to trade by creating working groups to develop mutual cooperation areas in order to move trade further as representatives of the business world of the two countries.