Turkey's Carob Exports
Turkey, as a country that produces around 25 thousand tons of carob per year, is also involved in the foreign trade of this product. According to a report based on Trade Map data, Turkey ranked fifth in the world with carob exports of approximately 4.0 million dollars in 2022; Algeria was the largest buyer of exports.
In this article, we discuss Turkey's carob exports in terms of data by years, main markets, import balance and kernel exports; we discuss the points to be considered in the interpretation of the data and the value-added export targets of the sector.
Source and Interpretation of Data
The numerical data in this article is mainly taken from the "Carob Agriculture and Industry Feasibility Report" published by the Western Mediterranean Development Agency (BAKA) in 2024. In the report, Türkiye's carob foreign trade is based on TurkStat data, and the distribution by countries and world trade are based on the international trade statistics platform Trade Map data (BAKA, 2024). The report is based on 1212.92 customs tariff positions for carob trade.
When reading the data, it is necessary to pay attention to one point: In the TurkStat table of the report, the value column is labeled as "$1000"; however, when the total given in the Trade Map table for the same year (4,023 thousand dollars) is compared with the figure in the TurkStat table (4,023,433), it is understood that the values in the TurkStat table should be read in dollars. In this article, the values are rounded to millions of dollars considering this consistency.
Carob Exports by Years
The carob export data given in the BAKA report based on TURKSTAT are as follows:
| Year | Export quantity (kg) | Export value (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1.113.503 | $1.29 million |
| 2020 | 903.744 | $1.06 million |
| 2021 | 695.020 | $0.95 million |
| 2022 | 2.836.139 | $4.02 million |
| 2023 | 1.620.224 | $1.82 million |
Source: BAKA (2024), based on TURKSTAT data; values are rounded.
The picture indicates a fluctuating course. While the amount of exports decreased between 2019 and 2021, there was a significant jump in 2022, and the export amount reached approximately 2.8 thousand tons and the value reached approximately 4 million dollars. In 2023, both quantity and value lagged behind 2022, but were above the 2019-2021 level.
It is useful to evaluate these figures together with production. According to TurkStat data, Turkey's carob production was 25,106 tons in 2022 and 24,561 tons in 2023 (BAKA, 2024; Balkıç et al., 2024). In this case, the amount exported as carob corresponds to a small part of the production; most of the production is consumed in the domestic market or processed into different products. This is not reflected in the table as the export of processed carob products is monitored in different customs positions.
Main Export Markets
According to the table given in the BAKA report based on Trade Map data, the main countries to which Turkey exported carob in 2022 are as follows:
| Country | 2022 export value ($ thousand) |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 2.948 |
| Saudi Arabia | 331 |
| Morocco | 224 |
| Germany | 60 |
| Korea | 55 |
| Total (all countries) | 4.023 |
Source: BAKA (2024), based on data from Trade Map.
According to these data, approximately three-quarters of Turkey's carob exports in 2022 were made to a single country, Algeria. This suggests that the jump in 2022 was largely due to demand in a single market; however, the report does not provide an explanation as to the reason for this demand.
The report also states that Turkey has a share of 0.22 percent of Switzerland's carob imports and 8.23 percent of Saudi Arabia's imports (BAKA, 2024). The Middle East and Gulf markets are also interesting for Turkey due to traditional consumption habits such as carob sherbet; this topic will be discussed in our article titled "Carob Demand in the Middle East and Gulf Countries".
Turkey's Place in World Trade
According to Trade Map data, the world's largest carob exporters in 2022 are listed as follows (BAKA, 2024):
| Country | 2022 export value ($ thousand) |
|---|---|
| Morocco | 161.697 |
| Spain | 9.984 |
| Algeria | 6.840 |
| Lebanon | 4.236 |
| Turkey | 4.023 |
In the same year, the world's largest importers of carob include Switzerland ($45,873 thousand), Morocco ($20,122 thousand), Vietnam ($5,306 thousand), Algeria ($3,964 thousand), Italy ($3,413 thousand) and Spain ($3,022 thousand). Turkey ranks tenth on this list with imports of 1,015 thousand dollars (BAKA, 2024). On the production side, the picture is different. Based on FAO's 2011 data, Feedipedia states that half of the world's production comes from Spain and Italy, followed by Morocco, Portugal, Turkey and Greece; in a recent review, it is stated that world production is approximately 400 thousand tons of pods per year, with more than 70 percent coming from EU countries (Feedipedia; Correia and Pestana, 2024). The fact that some European countries that stand out in production are not at the top of the raw carob export table suggests that the product is largely processed domestically in these countries; however, this interpretation is not a direct finding in the sources. The fact that countries such as Morocco and Spain are included in the list as both exporters and importers shows that the flows of raw materials, semi-finished products and processed products are intertwined in the carob trade.
Import Balance
Turkey imports carob as well as exporting it. According to Trade Map data, the main countries from which Turkey imported carob in 2022 were Cyprus ($449 thousand), Lebanon ($399 thousand), Spain ($136 thousand), Italy ($20 thousand) and Syria ($11 thousand) ($11 thousand) (BAKA, 2024). Thus, in 2022, Turkey is in a position with higher exports than imports and a foreign trade surplus in the carob trade.
In the TURKSTAT table of the report, it is seen that imports peaked in 2021; in the text, it is stated that the peak was in 2020. Due to this discrepancy, we do not make a definite comment on the course of imports over the years.
Core Exports
One of the most valuable parts of carob is the kernel, which is the raw material of the gum industry. In the BAKA report, the foreign trade of carob seeds is included in separate tables. According to these tables, the kernel export value increased every year from 2019 to 2022 and approximately doubled during this period. The report contains a much lower value for 2023; no explanation for the reason for this decrease was found in the report (BAKA, 2024).
Monitoring the kernel as a separate export item shows that the carob can be disassembled and directed to different markets. For the properties and usage areas of the kernel What is Carob Seed? You can check our article.
Value-Added Export Target
A common emphasis stands out in the evaluations of carob in Turkey: exporting processed and high value-added products instead of raw fruits or seeds. At the carob workshop held in Antalya in 2023, Prof. Dr. Hamide Gübbük from Akdeniz University drew attention to the uses of carob in areas such as food, pharmaceuticals, paper and petrochemicals, calling for value-added exports instead of raw fruits or seeds (Politika Newspaper, 2023).
In the news regarding the investor guide published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2020, it was stated that Turkey's share in foreign trade could be increased with carob orchards to be established in suitable areas (Habertürk/AA, 2020). In the branding project initiated in Alanya, it is aimed to carry the product beyond the sale of raw products and to gain a stronger position in domestic and foreign markets (Ekonomi Gazetesi, 2026).
The prominent product groups for value-added exports are as follows:
- Carob crumb (granule) and flour/powder
- Carob molasses and extract
- Carob kernel and gamut
- Carob-based snacks and drinks
Customs codes, origin and phytosanitary certificates, quality standards and delivery methods in exports will be discussed in our separate articles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much carob does Turkey export?
According to the BAKA report based on TURKSTAT data, Turkey exported approximately 2.8 thousand tons of carob in 2022 and approximately 1.6 thousand tons in 2023.
Which country does Turkey sell carob to the most?
According to Trade Map data, the largest market in 2022 is Algeria, which receives about three-quarters of exports.
Which country is the largest exporter of carob in the world?
According to Trade Map data, Morocco is by far the first in 2022.
Does Turkey import carob?
Yes. In 2022, the main suppliers were Cyprus, Lebanon, and Spain; however, exports outweigh imports.
Export with Carob Türkiye
Bringing Turkey's carob potential to world markets with value-added products is the common goal of the sector. As Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs, flour/powder, seeds and extracts. Carob Kibble (Granular), Carob Flour / Powder, Carob Seed and Carob Extract You can review our pages. For your wholesale and export requests Contact Now You can contact us on our page.
Domestic resources
Erbaş, S., "Carob Agriculture and Industry Feasibility Report", Western Mediterranean Development Agency (BAKA), Publication No: 153, 2024 (Foreign trade tables based on TurkStat and Trade Map data). DEVELOPMENT LIBRARY.
gov. en/ assets/ upload/ files/ Keciboy... Balkıç, R., Polat, İ., Gübbük, H., "Effects of Different Locations on Fruit and Seed Characteristics in Naturally Growing Wild Carob Genotypes in Antalya", Journal of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, 15(2), 74–80, 2024. doi.
org/ 10. 29048/ makufebed. 1454370 Politika Newspaper, "Another benefit of carob has emerged!" (Antalya carob workshop news), 7 August 2023. my policy.
com/ carob- one- BENEFIT- more- revealed- output Anadolu Agency / Habertürk, "Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry made a call for investment for carob production", 11 December 2020. haberturk.
com/ AGRICULTURE- and- forest- Ministry- Carob- production... Economy Newspaper, "Alanya carob will become a brand", 22 July 2026. economy newspaper.
com/ cities/ alanya- Carob- If it were branded... Foreign sources
Correia, P. J., Pestana, M., "Sugars and phenols in carob tree fruits from different producing countries: A short review", Heliyon, 10, e30922, 2024. doi.
org/ 10. 1016/ j. helion. 2024. E30922 Feedipedia – Animal Feed Resources Information System, "Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)" datasheet. feedipedia.
Scientific Resourcesorg/ node/ 320
