The automotive industry, which led Turkish exports for the last 12 years, has maintained a continuous upward trend over the last 28 months.

The sector’s exports amounted to $2.8 billion in May — an increase of 8% compared to May last year, according to the Uludag Automotive Industry Exporters’ Association (www.uib.org.tr).

Moreover, May’s automotive exports represented almost 20% of Turkey’s total exports for the month. In the first five months of 2018, auto-motive exports totalled $13.9 billion.

In terms of product groups, exports in May by the automotive sub-industry (supplying parts to the automotive industry) increased by 24% (compared with May 2017) to reach $1 billion.

Automobile exports, however, decreased by 4% to $1.05 billion, while exports of light commercial vehicles rose by 9% to $471 million.

Exports of buses, mini-buses and midi-buses decreased by 4% to $149 million.

The UK was Turkey’s largest individual market for light commercial vehicles, although demand in May fell by 7%. In the bus, mini-bus and midi-bus product group, exports to Germany — the biggest market for Turkish makers — experienced a 23% decrease, although exports to Italy rose by 68%.

On a country-by-country basis, automotive exports to Germany (the largest market) rose by 5% to $423 million, while exports to Italy (the second-largest market) also increased by 5% — to $310 million.

Exports to France, the third-largest market for Turkey’s automotive exports, increased by 16% to $308 million.

The share of EU countries in total exports was 80% in May.