Türkiye’s automotive industry exports declined 17 percent year-on-year in May to $3.26 billion, according to the Uludağ Automotive Industry Exporters’ Association (OİB).
OİB Chairman Kemal Yazıcı said the lower number of working days in May compared to the previous year had a negative impact on export performance.
Despite the decline, the automotive industry maintained its position as Türkiye’s top exporting sector, accounting for 16.8 percent of the country’s total exports.
In the January-May period, automotive exports increased 2.6 percent year-on-year to $17 billion.
The supply industry, the sector’s largest product group, recorded exports of $1.2 billion in May, down 14 percent from a year earlier.
Passenger car exports fell 23 percent to $1.01 billion, while exports of motor vehicles for goods transport dropped 27 percent to $543 million. Bus, minibus and midibus exports slipped 2.5 percent to $269 million.
Germany remained the largest export market for Türkiye’s automotive sector with shipments totaling $526 million, followed by France with $452 million.
European Union countries continued to lead among country groups, accounting for 75 percent of total automotive exports in May with $2.45 billion in outbound sales.
Exports to EU countries decreased 13 percent annually during the month.
Other European countries ranked second among regional markets with a 9.5 percent share. Exports to those countries fell 42 percent in May, while shipments to Middle Eastern countries declined 26 percent.
