The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against Türkiye in a dispute involving duties on imported Chinese electric cars, a report said on July 28.
In October 2024, Beijing lodged a complaint against Türkiye over the imposition of an additional 40 percent in customs duties on electric vehicles imported from China.
The WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) concluded in its report that the additional duties “are inconsistent” with various trade agreements dating back to 1994.
Both sides can appeal, but the appeals process has been jammed since late 2019 because the United States has blocked the nomination of judges.
Chinese automotive brands, which have been constrained by Türkiye’s customs and tariff barriers, saw their sales fall 39.6 percent in the first half of the year to 28,602 units.
Their share of the Turkish automotive market declined from 7.8 percent to 5.1 percent over the course of a year.
The number of Chinese brands operating in the market also fell from 10 to 7 compared with a year earlier.
BYD, which sold 25,501 vehicles in the first half of 2025, managed to sell only 6,809 units during the same period in 2026. Its sales declined by 18,692 units year-on-year, representing a 73.3 percent drop.
Chery Group’s sales increased from 19,026 units to 19,313 units. However, sales of vehicles under the Chery brand alone declined from 15,346 units to 12,690 units, while combined sales of the Omoda and Jaecoo brands rose to 6,623 units.
