Turkey's auto industry produces 518,700+ vehicles in H1

Automakers in Turkey produced 518,727 vehicles, including automobiles, light commercial vehicles, and tractors, in the first half of 2020, according to a sectoral report.

Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, auto production slipped 29% year-on-year in January-June, the Automotive Manufacturers Association said on Sunday.

Manufacturers, which closed factories in March and April, returned in May and accelerated production gradually in June, the report said.

Exporting 77.5% of its production in the first six months of this year, the industry saw 37% drop in auto exports with 402,179 units.

The country's automotive exports reached $11 billion, down 30% during the same period.

It also noted that the Turkish automotive market boosted 30% to 261,902 in the first half of 2020.

Top international automakers -- including Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Renault, and Toyota -- have factories in Turkey, one of the world's top auto sale markets.

In June, the auto industry produced 103,273 vehicles, up from 11,164 in April and 63,145 in May, the report said.