According to data from the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (OSD), contraction in both production and export continued throughout the period between January and October of this year compared to the same period of 2008. During this period, automobile exports dropped by 39.1 percent over the first 10 months of last year.
October saw a 27.3 percent increase in auto exports over October 2008, while total exports rose by 27.3 percent in the same month. However, automobile sales tumbled by 74 percent in October compared to September, as cuts in the private consumption tax (ÖTV) expired on Sept. 30. The same month saw a 30.1 percent decline in auto sales over October 2008, decreasing to 13,828 vehicles. Overall, auto production contracted by 37 percent in October compared to the same month of last year, falling to 22,111 vehicles.
The first 10 months of 2009 saw a 38.4 percent drop in the sector’s total exports compared to same period of last year, totaling $13.7 billion and accounting for 17.4 percent of Turkey’s total exports.
