Turkey's automotive export reduces in Jan.

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

ANKARA, Feb. 9 (Chinese media) -- Turkey's automotive export to EU member states

dropped in January apart from Malta and Latvia as European markets were

shrinking due to the ongoing economic crisis, the semi-official Anatolia news

agency reported on Monday.

Exports by automotive sector has seen a total decrease of 56.1 percent to

882.6 million U.S. dollars in January over the same month last year, said the

report, citing data given by Turkey's Uludag Exporters' Association.

In January 2009, the automotive sector's export to EU member states fell

60.5 percent to 648.9 million dollars compared to the same period of 2008, it

said, adding that exports to Spain dropped 91.7 percent to 10 million dollars

and exports to Romania fell 76 percent to 21 million dollars.

In the same period, among those EU member states, only the exports to Malta

and Latvia increased, it added.

Exports to Malta climbed 76.1 percent to 22.7 million dollars and exports

to Latvia rose 29.6 percent to 190,000 dollars.

Apart from the EU, Turkey's automotive sector's exports to Russia also

reduced 67 percent to 28.2 million dollars.

On the other hand, exports by the sector to Syria, Iraq, Iran, India,

Japan, Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan and Guinea increased.

Turkey's automotive sector has reduced its production in recent months due

to sharp decrease of orders from the European markets which were affected by the

economic crisis.