Decline continues in the automotive sector
According to data from the Automotive Manufacturers Association, automotive production fell by 9 percent in February, while exports remained at the 5.9 billion dollar level in the first two months of the year. A 54 percent drop in production in the heavy commercial vehicle group was particularly notable.
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The Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD) has announced its production, export, and market data for February. According to the data, Turkey's total automotive production fell by 9 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 218 thousand 991 units. Automobile production also decreased by 6 percent, falling to 141 thousand 486 units. Including tractor production, total production reached 224 thousand 348 units.
SHARP DECLINE IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
In the first two months of the year, commercial vehicle production decreased by 13 percent, while heavy commercial vehicle production fell by 54 percent and light commercial vehicle production by 8 percent. During this period, the capacity utilization rate of the automotive industry stood at 62 percent.
Capacity utilization rates by vehicle group were as follows:
Light vehicles (automobile + light commercial): 64%
Truck: 26%
Bus-midibus: 56%
Tractor: 43%
CONTRACTION IN EXPORTS CONTINUES
In the January-February period, automotive exports fell by 4 percent compared to the same period last year, dropping to 158 thousand 168 units. While automobile exports decreased by 7 percent, commercial vehicle exports increased by 1 percent. Tractor exports experienced a sharp decline, falling by 48 percent to 1 thousand 652 units.
Despite this, the automotive industry maintained its top position in sectoral export rankings in February with a 16 percent share.
Total automotive exports in the first two months of the year decreased by 1 percent compared to the same period in 2024, amounting to 5.9 billion dollars. In euro terms, it fell by 2 percent to 5.4 billion euros. While main industry exports decreased by 3 percent in dollar terms, supply industry exports showed a 2 percent increase.
AUTOMOTIVE MARKET IS SHRINKING
A contraction was also observed in the automotive market in the first two months of the year. The total market shrank by 15 percent compared to the same period last year, falling to 164 thousand 324 units. Automobile sales decreased by 10 percent, reaching 131 thousand 965 units.
The contraction was more pronounced in the commercial vehicle segment:
Total commercial vehicle market: 31%
Light commercial vehicle: 30%
Heavy commercial vehicle: 35%
In February, the share of domestic production in automobile sales was 33 percent, while the domestic production rate in the light commercial vehicle market was 25 percent.