Turkey: Automotive production down 11% in 2020

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Automotive production and exports in Turkey decreased by 11% and 27%, respectively, year-on-year in 2020, the country's Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD) said Sunday.

Last year, the automotive industry made the lion's share of the country's overall exports with 15%, the association said in a press release.

While total automotive production, which includes all types of vehicles, was nearly 1.3 million units, total automobile production was just 855,043, down 13% on a yearly basis.

Automotive exports totaled 916,543 units, while automobile exports were 596,616 units, down 28% over the same period.

Commercial vehicle production also narrowed in 2020, down 9% year-on-year.

Last year, the automotive industry's exports totaled $25.9 billion, while the capacity utilization rate was 65%.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which first appeared in December 2019 in China, affected several economic activities all around the world, especially in the EU, affecting many of Turkey's main export destinations.