Delegates from Turkey’s leading automotive parts manufacturers for passenger and commercial vehicles, trucks, trailers and buses are to embark on a round of virtual business-to-business meetings with South African buyers, importers and retailers, to showcase Turkey’s world class automotive manufacturing capabilities.

Following a series of successful in-person trade meetings between Turkish manufacturers and local buyers in recent years, the first virtual B2B trade meetings for businesses from Turkey and South Africa will take place from 1 – 5 March 2021. The meetings, hosted by the  Uludag Automotive Industry Exporters' Association (OIB), will offer the South African automotive industry an opportunity to forge new partnerships with leading manufacturers.

As the fourth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in Europe, Turkey produces over 1,3 million vehicles per year – over 70% of them for export around the world. With over 6,700 manufacturers in this space, Turkey’s automotive industry also manufactures automotive components, parts, modules and systems, making the sector one of Turkish manufacturing’s main driving forces and accounting for 15% of total Turkish exports. In 2020, the sector’s annual export volume totalled US$25,5 billion, reinforcing its standing as the national export champion for the past 15 years.

The Turkish automotive industry now exports its products across the globe, in particular to Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, Poland, the United States and Israel.

Thanks to the sector’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, alignment with European Union product and environmental standards, and international certifications (including ISO 9002, QS 9000 and ISO 14000), Turkish automotive manufacturers have more than 200 foreign investors and agreements with major international companies. These include Renault, Fiat, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Robert Bosch, Valeo, Delphi, ZF, Denso and Faurecia. International investors are both growing their investments in the sector, and using Turkey as a springboard to reach new markets.

Manufacturers participating in the virtual trade meetings 1 – 5 March will include producers of some of Turkey’s top exported spare parts products, such as engine parts, tyres and tubes, accessories for bodies, rubber parts, road wheels and parts and transmission and crank shafts. Also participating in the meetings will be producers of brake parts, trailer parts, clamps, clutches, flywheels, filters, thermoplastic compounds, engine and other automotive oils, commercial vehicle spares, springs, pistons, electric and air horns, lighting bulbs, seals and rubber components, and a full range of auto spare parts for European car models.

For more information about the participating Turkish companies visit Turkish Automotive B2B . To confirm your interest in scheduling meetings with any of these companies, please contact Sue Bowden at Africa House at Tel: +27 11 728 5878; Cell: 082 770 0542 or  E-mail: sue@africainfo.co.za

The meetings, hosted by the Uludag Automotive Industry Exporters Association (OIB) is supported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Trade and the Turkish Exporters Assembly.