U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., Sept. 25, 2025. AFP Photo
By Daily Sabah
Turkey and the United States are preparing a new strategy to boost bilateral commerce toward the long-standing $100 billion trade target, focusing on expanding cooperation in key industries from automotive to nuclear energy.
The Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK) and its Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) have begun work to update a joint trade roadmap first prepared with the Boston Consulting Group in 2019-2020. The revised plan aims to adapt to shifting global dynamics and strengthen private-sector partnerships between the two NATO allies.
According to officials familiar with the process, TAİK has sought input from business leaders in both countries to identify opportunities in strategic sectors including white goods, textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, automotive, civilian shipbuilding, tourism, technology, electrical and electronics, and nuclear power. The roadmap will also highlight state-level cooperation and third-country ventures.
Trade data underline the growing potential.
Figures from the Turkish Exporters Assembly show that in 2024 Türkiye exported $856 million worth of ready-to-wear clothing to the U.S., $774 million in electrical and electronic goods, $38.8 million in ships and services, and $1.2 billion in automotive products, an 18.9 % increase year-on-year.
Overall exports to the United States totaled $16.4 billion in 2024, up 9.9 % from the previous year, while total bilateral trade reached $32.6 billion. Turkey recorded a trade surplus of about $125 million, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data.
Balanced rapprochement in ties
Ankara and Washington have entered what officials describe as a period of “balanced rapprochement,” seeking to deepen economic cooperation despite past political differences. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to New York for the 80th U.N. General Assembly last month and his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington signaled renewed momentum in bilateral relations.
During the visit, the two leaders discussed steps to advance the $100 billion trade target and witnessed the signing of a Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, viewed as a milestone for expanding collaboration in nuclear energy and advanced technologies.
Mutual investments on the rise
The United States remains Turkey’s second-largest export destination and fifth-largest source of imports. Turkish companies have increased their footprint in the U.S. with investments totaling $13.2 billion, while American firms have invested $15.7 billion in Türkiye.
More than 2,000 U.S.-capitalized companies currently operate in Turkey, with new ventures emerging in technology, defense, logistics and energy. Turkish firms, meanwhile, are boosting long-term, high-tech projects in the American market.
Business representatives say the updated roadmap will help channel these investments into new areas such as cybersecurity, renewable energy and digital innovation, while supporting joint projects in third countries.
Analysts note that the continued rise in trade and investment reflects both governments’ interest in strengthening economic ties alongside strategic cooperation in defense and regional security.
“The upcoming roadmap will provide a clearer framework for private-sector initiatives and will help sustain the momentum in Turkey-U.S. economic relations,” one senior trade official said.