Turkey’s automotive exports fell 17 percent year-on-year in May to $3.26 billion, although the industry remained the country’s largest exporting sector, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing industry data.
The automotive industry accounted for 16.8 percent of Turkey’s total exports during the month, the Uludağ Automotive Industry Exporters’ Association (OİB) said.
OİB Chairman Kemal Yazıcı attributed part of the decline to May having fewer working days than the same month last year.
Despite the monthly drop, automotive exports increased 2.6 percent in the first five months of 2026 to $17 billion.
Exports by the supply industry, the sector’s largest product group, declined 14 percent to $1.22 billion in May.
Passenger car exports fell 23 percent to $1.01 billion, while exports of vehicles used to transport goods dropped 27 percent to $543 million.
Bus, minibus and midibus exports decreased 2.5 percent to $269 million.
Germany remained the largest market with $526 million in exports, followed by France with $452 million.
European Union countries received $2.45 billion in automotive exports, accounting for 75 percent of the total, although exports to the bloc fell 13 percent from a year earlier.