Impact of COVID-19 on Turkish foreign trade in the global supply chain frame

This study analyses on effects of Covid-19 pandemic on foreign trade of Turkey considering global supply chain. Therefore, export/import and foreign trade country are analyzed on sector-based field. At the level of countries and sectors, the tables of the past years and the tables during the emergence of Covid-19 are monitored and the first effects of the epidemic are tried to be explained. In this context, questions such as how did the first shock effects of the epidemic affect foreign trade; if so, to what extent did these affect exports and imports and how was the sectoral distribution of these effects realized are tried to be answered. According to the data obtained from TUİK, some results were obtained by using the Descriptive Analysis method. Turkey's exports, observed in March-April-May period of the first shock has shrunk more than 30% compared to the previous year. Exports shrinked more than 30% in manufacturing economy activities for this period. More than 15% shrinkage occurred in imports. Moreover, in case of such a pandemic, it is evaluated that European and Middle East markets shall be lost rapidly and that in this respect, diversification in these markets is very important. Food, pharmacy, chemistry, iron and steel sectors are important strategical sectors in having significant forward-backward connections and supply security. Upon its effects on total foreign trade, it is seen that there is an increasing in foreign trade deficit. In this perspective, it is evaluated that it is important to follow a strategy during such a pandemical period which decreasing import, weaking backward connections, strengthening forward connections.