Something caught our eye while analysing data in trade:

From January to May 2025, Turkey’s imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China surged by 5,294% YoY.

At the same time, its exports of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and range-extended vehicles shot up 636%.

Put together?

A jaw-dropping 5,930% combined growth in NEV trade activity between China and Turkey.

Let’s break this down with real numbers.

So Why the Spike in 2025? Why the growth rate was so low before?

Because the tariffs were sky-high.

Here's a quick timeline:

• March 2023 – Turkey slapped a 40% extra tariff on Chinese NEVs (totaling 50% overall).
• June 2024 – Tariffs expanded to all Chinese vehicles and parts, with a $7,000 minimum import price.
• July 2024 – Turkey announced: “We’ll waive the extra 40% tax if you build a factory here.”
• 8 July 2024 – BYD signed a $1B investment deal to build a plant (operational in 2026).

Tariff waived. Sales exploded.

March 2025 BYD sales in Turkey: 2,870 units
(vs 175 units in March 2024 — that’s 15x growth)

The Reason of Massive Import from China

• BYD’s factory won’t start production until 2026.
• Until then, vehicles still need to be imported from China.
• With the tariff break in place, brands are rushing to get in before the rules change again.

And it’s not just BYD.

Other brands like Chery are in talks to invest too.
Chery didn’t qualify for the tariff exemption—so its sales dropped -51.5%.
Everyone else? Booming.

🧭 Turkey: The Gateway to Europe

Here’s the strategic piece:

Turkey’s exports of Chinese NEVs are rising because Turkey is a transit hub.

• The EU is imposing temporary tariffs on Chinese EVs.
• But cars built or assembled in Turkey?
  They enter the EU duty-free.

That’s why Turkey’s re-export numbers look like this (Jan–May 2025):

What’s Next?

This insane growth won’t last forever.

• Once the factories go live in Turkey, imports will drop.
• If Turkey reintroduces high tariffs, brands will scramble again.
• And if the EU tweaks its tariffs, routes may shift entirely.

The only constant? Change.

Need real-time intelligence on which importers and exporters are active in the Turkish EV space?
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