Chinese automotive brands faced a challenging first half of 2026 in Türkiye, with sales falling 39.6% year-on-year to 28,602 units. Customs regulations, additional tariffs and investment-related uncertainties weighed on their market performance, while Chinese manufacturers continued to expand rapidly across Europe.
Chinese automotive brands lost significant ground in the Turkish market during the first six months of 2026, despite their continued expansion across Europe.
Sales of Chinese brands in Türkiye declined by 39.6% year-on-year to 28,602 units in the January-June period. The downturn highlighted the impact of customs regulations, additional tariffs and investment-related challenges on manufacturers seeking to strengthen their position in the country.
As sales volumes declined, the combined market share of Chinese automotive brands fell from 7.8% in the first half of 2025 to 5.1% in the same period of 2026.
BYD Records Sharp Decline in Sales
BYD accounted for a significant part of the overall decline.
The Chinese manufacturer sold 25,501 vehicles in Türkiye during the first half of 2025. In the same period of 2026, sales dropped to 6,809 units.
This represented a year-on-year decrease of 18,692 vehicles, or 73.3%.
The decline followed the brand’s strong performance in the previous year, while uncertainties surrounding its investment process affected vehicle imports and sales momentum during the first half of 2026.
Chery Group Sales Remain Relatively Stable
Chery Group followed a different trajectory. Its total sales increased slightly from 19,026 units in the first half of 2025 to 19,313 units in the January-June 2026 period.
However, Chery-branded vehicle sales declined from 15,346 units to 12,690 units. Combined sales of Omoda and Jaecoo reached 6,623 vehicles during the same period.
The number of Chinese automotive brands operating in the Turkish market also decreased from 10 to seven over the past year.
Chinese Brands Continue to Expand in Europe
The slowdown in Türkiye contrasts with the broader growth of Chinese automotive manufacturers across Europe.
According to automotive data company JATO, Chinese manufacturers sold around 50,000 vehicles in Europe in 2020. Within five years, sales had increased to nearly 700,000 units.
The figure is expected to exceed 1.3 million vehicles in 2026, demonstrating the growing role of Chinese manufacturers in the European automotive market.
Tariffs and Localization Shape the Outlook in Türkiye
In Türkiye, import regulations and additional taxes continue to influence the growth strategies of Chinese automotive manufacturers.
Under the current market environment, manufacturers are increasingly faced with strategic choices regarding their future presence in the country. These include maintaining sales through internal combustion engine and hybrid models despite additional costs, or pursuing investment and localization strategies to expand their position in the electric vehicle market.
The first-half results underline the contrasting dynamics facing Chinese automotive brands: rapid expansion across Europe alongside a more challenging operating environment in Türkiye.
