Tripoli, 4 February 2013:
Goods imported from Turkey to Libya almost tripled last year, hitting $2.1 billion, making Libya one of the . . .[restrict]top countries for Turkish business.
Last year saw imports of Turkish food, clothing and industrial supplies rocket 186 percent from $747 million in 2011 to $2.1 billion in 2012, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. In December alone, the value of imports was $248 million, up 96 percent from the same month in 2011 .
Before the revolution, the main imports from Turkey were industrial products, including machinery, tools, and semi-finished products, along with consumer goods and foodstuffs, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Oil accounts for almost all Libyan exports to Turkey. Ankara has a deal to buy a million tonnes of Libyan oil a year. However, because international sanctions have forced it to reduce its purchases of Iranian oil, it has been looking to Libya to make up the shortfall. [/restrict]