Turkey's automotive production soars in August

By Cansu Dikme

ANKARA (AA) - Automotive production in Turkey surged 44% year-on-year in August, a sectoral report revealed on Monday.

The Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD) said automakers manufactured 75,241 vehicles -- including automobiles, light commercial vehicles and tractors -- last month, while automobile production advanced 45% to stand at 45,211 in the same period.

"Automotive manufacturers, which suspend production for maintenance/repair and production planning every August, focused on reducing the negative impact of the pandemic by completing their preparations in a shorter time this year," the OSD noted.

The overall auto sales market, including light trucks and other vehicles, more than doubled --up 137% -- compared to the same month of last year, reaching 63,621 in August.

The OSD report also revealed automotive industry exports declined 13% on a dollar basis to $1.6 billion in the month, compared to August 2019.

The export value of the automobile sector slipped by 25% year-on-year to $381 million, the report added.

In January-August, auto production fell 23% on an annual basis to 712,098. The capacity utilization rate of the sector was around 53% in the first eight months of this year.