Turkish sales of motor vehicles increased by an annual 16 percent in the month of December, the Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD) said.
Sales in the local market rose to 107,969 units from 92,885 units in December 2019, the OSD said in a report at the weekend. The rate of growth compared with 39 percent in November, when sales totalled 82,773 units.
Purchases of commercial vehicles including vans led the increase in overall sales last month, expanding by an annual 24 percent to 27,248 units. Passenger car sales rose by 14 percent to 80,721 units.
Turkish motor vehicle purchases and exports are a key indicator of economic growth in the country. The government sought to stimulate domestic demand last year through tax cuts and cheap loans from state-run banks to help offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Imports increased by an annual 10 percent to 54,057 units in December. That compared with 20 percent growth in November. Exports fell by 11 percent to 94,634 units. They had dropped by an annual 12 percent to 101,692 units the previous month.
Domestic sales of motor vehicles in the whole of 2020 surged by 62 percent to 796,200 units, the OSD said. Exports dropped by 27 percent to 916,543 units.
Motor vehicle production grew by an annual 10 percent in December alone to 149,614 units. Production declined by 11 percent to 1,297,854 units in the whole of 2020, as exports dropped by 27 percent to 916,543 units.
Ahval