Omer Bolat Minister of Commerce stated in a written statement on Friday regarding the decision of Donald Trump’s administration on customs tariffs We consider the imposition of higher customs tariffs by the United States on many countries as better than the worst for Turkey.
On April 3, the President of the United States, Trump, announced his plans to impose new comprehensive taxes on imported goods entering the United States. Accordingly, a minimum customs duty of at least 10 percent will be applied to all countries. However, significantly higher tax tariffs will be imposed on European Union member states and countries such as China and Vietnam.
The implementation of the 10 percent tax begins on April 5. Higher taxes will come into effect on April 9.
Turkey is also among the countries where the 10 percent tax will be applied.
The reaction of Omer Bolat Minister of Commerce of Turkey
Minister of Commerce Bolat stated that the customs duties are the best of the worst and mentioned that they intend to initiate negotiations with U.S. trade officials to remove them. Bolat said, We will participate in the American-Turkish traders’ meeting in mid-May and discuss these issues.
Furthermore, Bolat stated that the imposition of higher taxes on rival countries could create a competitive advantage for Turkey.
Bolat stated that the trade volume with the United States in 2024 increased by 4.7 percent, reaching 35.2 billion dollars. He emphasized that the United States, with a share of 6.2 percent, ranks second in Turkey’s exports. He also noted that there is a 2.4 billion dollar surplus in trade between the two countries in favor of the United States.
Our Minister of Foreign Affairs stated: As Turkey, we strive to develop our trade and economic cooperation with the United States in a balanced manner and within the framework of a win-win principle, just like with all other countries. He added: To enhance our trade and economic relations with the U.S., we will increase our communications in the upcoming period and take sectoral steps to facilitate and strengthen this process.
