Chinese cars in Türkiye: what is sold, what is blocked, and why
Facts checked
Türkiye is the one market in this group that taxes Chinese cars differently from everyone else's, and the tariff was written to buy factories rather than to close the door. On 3 March 2023 Türkiye applied an additional 40% customs duty to electric passenger cars of Chinese origin under tariff heading 8703.80. Presidential Decision 8639, dated 7 June 2024 and published in the Resmî Gazete on 8 June 2024 (issue 32570), widened that to Chinese-origin passenger cars of heading 8703 generally, including petrol and hybrid models, at 40% of import value or a minimum of US$7,000 per unit, whichever is higher, in force from the thirtieth day after publication. Presidential Decision 8724, published on 5 July 2024 (issue 32593), amended 8639 to exempt imports made under a yatırım teşvik belgesi — an investment incentive certificate — so a manufacturer investing in Türkiye pays the ordinary duty instead.
BYD took that exemption. On 8 July 2024 BYD and the Turkish government signed an agreement for a plant in the Manisa Organized Industrial Zone worth about US$1 billion, with capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year, a research and development centre alongside, and production targeted by the end of 2026; the Turkish government restated that timing in December 2024. The plant did not follow the paperwork. In June 2026, nearly two years after the signing and with no foundation laid, BYD confirmed the project was on indefinite hold, and executive vice-president Stella Li said it had no timeline and that the company's priority was its plant at Szeged in Hungary.
The brands are here regardless. As of March 2025 ten Chinese brands were selling in Türkiye — Skywell, MG, Chery, Leapmotor, Seres, Maxus, Hongqi, DFSK, BYD and Neta — with SWM and Jaecoo expected to follow. Chery sold 57,047 cars in Türkiye in 2024, up 40.54%, and MG 17,162, up 18.70%. BYD's 2024 total was 8,331, up 892.97% on 2023; it reached seventh place among all brands in January 2026 with the Atto 2 tenth among models, then fell to 6,809 units in the first half of 2026 from 25,501 in the first half of 2025, which trade reporting attributed to import barriers and investment uncertainty.
One point of confusion is worth settling: Togg is Turkish, not Chinese. It is Türkiye's own electric-car venture and the 2023 tariff on Chinese electric cars was introduced as Togg's first car was being rolled out; Togg has no Chinese owner and does not belong on a list of Chinese brands.
At a glance
| Country code | TR |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Market status | Restricted |
| Brands recorded | 12 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 1 |
| Models on this site | 1 |
Brands sold in Türkiye
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 奇瑞Chery | Sold | not published | An independent importer | 57,047 cars sold in Türkiye in 2024, up 40.54% year on year, led by the Tiggo range. |
| 名爵MG | Sold | not published | An independent importer | 17,162 cars sold in Türkiye in 2024, up 18.70%. |
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | not published | An independent importer | 8,331 cars in 2024, up 892.97% on 2023; reached seventh place among all brands in January 2026, with the Atto 2 tenth among models. Sold 25,501 units in H1 2025 but 6,809 in H1 2026. |
| 开沃Skywell | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 零跑Leapmotor | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 赛力斯Seres | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 上汽大通Maxus | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 红旗Hongqi | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 东风小康DFSK | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 哪吒Neta | Sold | not published | An independent importer | |
| 斯威SWM | Announced | not published | An independent importer | Named in March 2025 as one of two brands expected to bring the Chinese total in Türkiye to twelve; launch date not confirmed. |
| 奇瑞探索Jaecoo | Announced | not published | An independent importer | Named in March 2025 as one of two brands expected to bring the Chinese total in Türkiye to twelve; launch date not confirmed. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional duty on Chinese electric cars (2023) | From 3 March 2023 Türkiye applied an additional customs duty of 40% to electric passenger cars of Chinese origin classified under tariff heading 8703.80. Global Trade Alert records the measure as revoked on 21 September 2025. | Global Trade Alert | |
| Additional duty on all Chinese-origin cars (2024) | Presidential Decision 8639, dated 7 June 2024 and published in the Resmî Gazete on 8 June 2024 (issue 32570), amended the Decision on the Application of Additional Import Customs Duty to apply an additional duty on Chinese-origin passenger cars of tariff heading 8703, including petrol and hybrid models, at 40% of import value or a minimum of US$7,000 per unit, whichever is higher. The decision enters into force on the thirtieth day following publication. | KPMG Türkiye (Vergi) | |
| Investment incentive certificate exemption | Presidential Decision 8724, published in the Resmî Gazete on 5 July 2024 (issue 32593), amended Decision 8639 so that imports made under an investment incentive certificate (yatırım teşvik belgesi) are exempt from the additional duty, leaving them subject to the ordinary customs duty. | Kızılkaya (reproducing the Resmî Gazete text) | |
| Scope: Togg is not a Chinese brand | Togg is Türkiye's own electric-car venture, not a Chinese one, so the additional duties on Chinese-origin vehicles do not apply to it. The March 2023 duty on Chinese electric cars was introduced as Togg's first car was being brought to market. Togg is noted here only because it is often mistaken for a Chinese brand. | Bloomberg |
Chinese-owned plants in Türkiye
| Owner | Location | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYD | Manisa Organized Industrial Zone, Manisa Province | not published | Agreement signed 8 July 2024 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and BYD chief executive Wang Chuanfu: about US$1 billion, capacity 150,000 vehicles a year, a research and development centre, and production targeted by the end of 2026 — a timing the Turkish government restated in December 2024. In June 2026 BYD confirmed the project was on indefinite hold with no construction begun and no foundation laid; executive vice-president Stella Li said it had no timeline and that the priority was the Szeged plant in Hungary. |
Models recorded in Türkiye
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wuling Wuling Hongguang Mini EV | Hatchback | Sold | 120 km NEDC |
Best sellers
| Model | Brand | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYD Atto 2 | BYD | 2026 | Tenth best-selling model in Türkiye in January 2026, when BYD reached seventh place among all brands. |
| Chery | Chery | 2024 | Brand-level figure: 57,047 cars in 2024, up 40.54% — the largest Chinese brand in Türkiye by volume. |
Chinese cars in Türkiye: questions people ask
- How much tariff does Türkiye charge on Chinese cars?
- Presidential Decision 8639, published on 8 June 2024, applies an additional customs duty of 40% of import value or a minimum of US$7,000 per vehicle, whichever is higher, to Chinese-origin passenger cars of heading 8703 including hybrids. It took effect on the thirtieth day after publication.
- Can a Chinese carmaker avoid the Turkish tariff?
- Yes, by investing in Türkiye. Presidential Decision 8724 of 5 July 2024 exempts imports made under an investment incentive certificate from the additional duty, so a manufacturer with a certificate pays the ordinary customs duty instead.
- Is BYD building a factory in Türkiye?
- It signed an agreement to. On 8 July 2024 BYD and the Turkish government agreed a plant at Manisa worth about US$1 billion with capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year and production targeted by the end of 2026. In June 2026 BYD confirmed the project was on indefinite hold with no construction begun and no timeline.
- Is Togg a Chinese car?
- No. Togg is Türkiye's own electric-car venture, with no Chinese owner. Türkiye's additional duties on Chinese-origin cars do not apply to it.
- Which Chinese brands are sold in Türkiye?
- As of March 2025 there were ten: Skywell, MG, Chery, Leapmotor, Seres, Maxus, Hongqi, DFSK, BYD and Neta, with SWM and Jaecoo expected to follow. Chery is the largest by volume.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
BYD's Turkish sales fall to 6,809 units in the first half of 2026 from 25,501 in the first half of 2025.
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BYD confirms the Manisa plant is on indefinite hold with no construction begun; the company says the project has no timeline and that Szeged in Hungary is the priority.
-
Global Trade Alert records the 2023 electric-vehicle-specific additional duty as revoked.
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BYD and the Turkish government sign an agreement for a US$1 billion, 150,000-unit plant at Manisa with production targeted by the end of 2026.
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Presidential Decision 8724 is published in the Resmî Gazete (issue 32593), exempting imports made under an investment incentive certificate from the additional duty.
-
Presidential Decision 8639 is published in the Resmî Gazete (issue 32570), extending the additional duty to Chinese-origin passenger cars of heading 8703 including hybrids at 40% or a minimum of US$7,000 per unit, in force thirty days after publication.
-
Türkiye applies an additional 40% customs duty to Chinese-origin electric passenger cars under tariff heading 8703.80.
Related
Sources for Türkiye
- KPMG Türkiye (Vergi), 8703 Tarife Pozisyonundaki Çin Menşeli Binek Otomobiller İle Hibrit Araçlara Yüzde 40 Veya Minimum 7.000 ABD Doları/Adet İlave Gümrük Vergisi Uygulanacağı Belirtilmiştir. Read . Professional bulletin on Cumhurbaşkanı Kararı 8639. The primary text is in the Resmî Gazete of 8 June 2024, issue 32570; resmigazete.gov.tr could not be retrieved in this pass (TLS certificate chain error), so the decree number, date and terms are taken from this bulletin and should be checked against the gazette.
- Kızılkaya (reproducing the Resmî Gazete text), 7/6/2024 Tarihli ve 8639 Sayılı Cumhurbaşkanı Kararının Eki Kararda Değişiklik Yapılması Hakkında Karar (Karar Sayısı: 8724). Read . Decision 8724, Resmî Gazete of 5 July 2024, issue 32593 — the investment-incentive-certificate exemption. Read from the search index extract.
- Global Trade Alert, Türkiye: Government imposes additional duties on electric vehicles from China. Read . Implementation 3 March 2023, 40% additional duty, HS 8703.80, origin China; revocation recorded 21 September 2025.
- CnEVPost, BYD to build $1 billion EV plant in Turkey, production to start by end of 2026. Read .
- Middle East Monitor, From Manisa to Szeged: BYD's shifting European investment strategy. Read . Secondary reporting of BYD's June 2026 confirmation that Manisa is on indefinite hold and of Stella Li's statement. Read from the search index extract.
- China Daily, Chinese cars become key players in Türkiye with price advantage, investment commitment: expert. Read . March 2025 list of the ten Chinese brands selling in Türkiye plus SWM and Jaecoo to come; Chery, MG and BYD 2024 volumes. Read from the search index extract.
- Bazaar Times, Türkiye's Chinese auto sales fall as tariffs and import barriers weigh on market growth. Read . BYD H1 2025 and H1 2026 volumes. Read from the search index extract.
- Best Selling Cars Blog, Türkiye January 2026: BYD up to record #7, Atto 2 in Top 10. Read . Compiles ODMD registration data.
- Caixin Global, BYD's $1 Billion Turkey Factory to Start Production by End of 2026, Government Says. Read .
- Bloomberg, Turkey Hikes Tax on China Electric Vehicles in Boost to Togg Car Project. Read . Supports the 3 March 2023 measure and the relationship to Türkiye's domestic Togg venture. Headline and date read from the search index; the article body is behind a paywall.