Trade Minister Bolat: “U.S. Has a Surplus with Türkiye—Tariff Should Be Lifted”

Türkiye’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has announced that removing the 10% U.S. tariff on Turkish goods will be a top priority during his official visit to the United States next month. The statement came during his visit to Japan, where he was attending preparatory events for Osaka EXPO 2025 and holding talks to deepen bilateral trade cooperation.

Speaking to reporters, Bolat emphasized that Türkiye-U.S. trade relations are fundamentally strong and noted that the United States actually maintains a foreign trade surplus with Türkiye.

“It is understandable for the U.S. to focus on countries with which it runs a trade deficit. But since it has a surplus with us, we expect the 10 percent tariff to be removed. This will be our clear and concrete demand,” Bolat stated.

$100 Billion Trade Goal with U.S. Under New Strategy

Bolat added that Türkiye has already launched its “Far Countries Strategy” for engaging the U.S. and the broader American continent, aiming to boost bilateral trade volume to $100 billion in the long term.

The Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) and the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) will play active roles in achieving this ambitious target by implementing coordinated trade actions and market expansion strategies.

Currently, the United States is Türkiye’s second-largest trading partner, following the European Union. Bolat emphasized that trade between Türkiye and the U.S. remains well-balanced, which makes the existing tariff policy even more unwarranted.

Türkiye-Japan Ties Strengthen Amid Global Infrastructure Boom

While in Japan, Bolat highlighted a growing partnership between Turkish and Japanese construction firms, particularly in reconstruction and infrastructure development in regions like Ukraine, Africa, and Asia.

“Japan’s engineering expertise and financial strength, when combined with Türkiye’s high-quality contracting capabilities, are producing important global projects,” he said.

He revealed that just 10 days earlier, Turkish and Japanese companies had signed consortium cooperation agreements for two major infrastructure projects in Turkmenistan.

Japan-Türkiye Economic Partnership Agreement Still in Progress

Bolat also commented on the ongoing negotiations for a Türkiye-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, describing it as a technical and sector-specific process involving evolving demands across various industries.

“Despite turbulent global conditions, delegations continue to exchange proposals and expectations. It’s a long-term effort, but we’re making progress,” he noted.

As Türkiye strengthens its international trade strategy in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres, Bolat’s U.S. visit is expected to test Washington’s willingness to recalibrate tariff policies with strategic partners like Türkiye.