Turkish automotive production declined -16.8% on-year in June to 109,116 units, driven by a -23.1% fall in commercial vehicle output to 35,042 units, Kallanish learns from the Turkish Automotive Manufacturers' Association (OSD). Passenger car output fell -13.5% to 74,074 vehicles.

Demand for Turkish cars slumped again in June, with passenger car domestic sales down -12.6% to 36,024 units, albeit a less steep decline than in previous months. Exports slumped -7.6% to 62,846t after rebounding briefly in May. Overall automotive exports fell -11.7% to 96,879 units.

Turkish automotive exports generated $2.22 billion in June, down -14.6% on-year.

In the first half of 2019 Turkish automotive production thus fell -12.8% on-year to 735,062 units, with passenger car output down -11.6% to 492,700 units. Turkish domestic passenger car sales fell -43.3% to 156,378 units. Overall automotive exports fell -7.7% to 634,768 units.

This follows an -8.6% on-year decline in Turkish automotive production in 2018 to 1.55 million vehicles, led by a -10.2% drop in passenger car production to 1.03m units. It was nevertheless Turkey’s second-highest automotive production figure after 2017.

Turkey’s slowing economy since mid-2018 has curtailed demand for cars, thereby reducing requirement for auto steel.