Turkey’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat announced that Ankara intends to engage with the U.S. Department of Commerce to negotiate relief from the newly imposed 10% tariffs on Turkish exports. Bolat confirmed that Turkish officials will attend the Turkish-American Conference in Washington, D.C., this May as part of Ankara’s diplomatic push. He also stated that Turkey would take steps to align its export strategies with the evolving U.S. tariff landscape, according to an April 4 Reuters report.

Turkey is among several Middle Eastern countries—including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar—seeking exemptions from the new U.S. tariff regime. However, it remains unclear how much leverage these countries hold, beyond potential investment pledges or symbolic political support.

The opaque rationale behind the tariffs, combined with the unconventional approach to rate calculation under the Trump administration, adds further uncertainty. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa are expected to pursue exemptions through a combination of personal diplomacy, favorable public rhetoric toward Trump, investment incentives, and political lobbying—particularly in the case of Israel, which maintains strong influence in the U.S. Congress.
In March, Turkey exported $1.4 billion worth of goods to the United States, making it Ankara's third-largest export destination after Germany and the United Kingdom. The United States exported $2.06 billion to Turkey during the same period, leaving Turkey with a monthly trade deficit.

Turkey is not alone in facing unexpected tariff hikes. Israel, despite eliminating all remaining duties on U.S. imports, was hit with a 17% tariff. Other Gulf states—including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait—were each assigned a minimum 10% tariff. Notably, Oman holds a free trade agreement with the U.S., while Jordan, which also maintains a deficit and an FTA with Washington, was struck with a 20% tariff rate.

As Turkey and its regional peers navigate the unpredictable nature of U.S. trade policy, their success in securing tariff relief may hinge less on traditional trade negotiations and more on high-stakes political calculus in Washington