Turkey tops Libya's imports in 2025
Figures released by the Central Bank of Libya show that banks used $15.3bn in foreign currency between January and July 2025 – a 30% rise on the same period in 2024.
The United Arab Emirates was the biggest destination for letters of credit issued by Libyan commercial banks to the private sector, accounting for 29.3% of requests. It was followed by Turkey (22.1%), Egypt (10.8%), Switzerland (4.8%) and China (4%).
Turkish-origin goods represented the largest share of imports at 26.4%, with China (12.6%), Egypt (11.4%), India (6.2%) and Russia (4.8%) trailing behind.
Machinery and equipment topped the list of imports at 21.2% of foreign currency requests, followed by pharmaceuticals at 20.4%.
The Libyan Iron and Steel Company was the single largest importer, with $244.3m in approved requests, followed by the National Cancer Control Authority ($188m) and the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund ($118.9m). Tags: libyan economy
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Libya Observer
a day ago
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Turkey tops Libya's imports in 2025
Turkey has emerged as the leading source of goods and services imported into Libya so far this year, followed by China, Egypt, India and Russia. Figures released by the Central Bank of Libya show that banks used $15.3bn in foreign currency between January and July 2025 – a 30% rise on the same period in 2024. The United Arab Emirates was the biggest destination for letters of credit issued by Libyan commercial banks to the private sector, accounting for 29.3% of requests. It was followed by Turkey (22.1%), Egypt (10.8%), Switzerland (4.8%) and China (4%). Turkish-origin goods represented the largest share of imports at 26.4%, with China (12.6%), Egypt (11.4%), India (6.2%) and Russia (4.8%) trailing behind. Machinery and equipment topped the list of imports at 21.2% of foreign currency requests, followed by pharmaceuticals at 20.4%. The Libyan Iron and Steel Company was the single largest importer, with $244.3m in approved requests, followed by the National Cancer Control Authority ($188m) and the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund ($118.9m). Tags: libyan economy
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