Saudi Arabia Continues to Ban Turkish Goods

Saudi Arabia continues to impose a ban on Turkish goods, preventing their entry into the country. As a result, hundreds of trucks have been stuck at customs for months without any processing of customs clearance. This is reported by Ermenihaber.am.

The boycott of Turkish goods has raised concerns in Turkey. Although in November, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated they have amicable relations with Turkey and denied reports of a boycott on Turkish goods, subsequent months have shown that restrictions are indeed being applied to Turkish products.

The boycott is resulting in serious losses for the Turkish economy. As of January 2020, the export volume from Turkey to Saudi Arabia was $221.9 million, but by January 2021, it had plummeted to only $16.5 million, which marks a decline of 92.5%.

Prior to this, Saudi Arabia was one of Turkey's largest trading partners, with annual exports from Turkey to Saudi Arabia reaching approximately $3 billion. Currently, Turkey is concerned that both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are looking for alternatives to Turkish goods.