Automotive August 2021

Restrictions eased
Many Turkish factories temporarily halted
operations last year, soon after the first
COVID-19 infection was recorded.
Turkey has been gradually easing
coronavirus restrictions since mid-May
after the end of a so-called “full lockdown”
from which millions of workers and tourists
were exempt.
A partial lockdown in mid-April was
extended to a nearly three-week stay-athome
order after daily cases hit a record
high of more than 63,000. In the most
extensive relaxation since the beginning of
the pandemic, the nation has eased nearly
all restrictions on businesses and events,
and lifted nighttime and Sunday curfews
as new infections remain steadily below
record high levels registered in April. The
rise through June could be attributed to the
fact that Turkey’s virus-related lockdowns
adopted this year did not affect production.
The automotive supply industry’s foreign
sales soared nearly 50% from a year ago
to around $1.1 billion in June, the OIB
data showed. Exports to its top market,
Germany, were up 83% year-on-year, in
addition to increases of 115%, 28%, 73%
and 77% in sales to Italy, France, the U.S.
and Russia, respectively.
Automobile exports were down 22% yearon-year
to $609 million, driven by a fall in
sales to France, Germany, Slovenia, Israel
and Belgium of 32%, 48%, 40%, 64% and
72%, respectively. Sales of motor vehicles
for transporting goods surged 74% to $454
million, lifted by a 319% increase in exports
to the U.K., as well as 129% and 202%
increases in shipments to France and Italy.
Bus-minibus-midibus sales dropped 24.5%
to $87 million, driven by a noteworthy fall
of 70% in exports to Germany, and a 97%
drop in Morocco. Yet, sales to Hungary and
France posted a 712% and 80% increase,
respectively.
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