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News from ECG
China’s exports of new vehicles to global markets are increasing at a rapid rate. In June alone, a total of 1,037,000 vehicles left China, marking a 75% year-on-year increase. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), this was the first time that monthly exports exceeded one million units.
China’s exports in the first six months of 2026 reached 5,096,000 units, up 65.5% year on year.
Domestic sales fall
Although new vehicle exports from China are growing rapidly, domestic sales are falling sharply. In the first six months of the year, domestic sales in China reached 9.9 million units, marking a decline of 21% year on year.
China combines export volumes with domestic sales volumes to report total sales, which reached 14.9 million units, representing an overall decline of 4% year on year. Exports are therefore increasingly significant, now accounting for 34% of this “total sales” volume.
However, the question remains whether all exported vehicles can genuinely be considered sold. In many cases, an export represents only a sale to the importer in the destination country, rather than to the final customer.
China is now introducing new policies to counter the rapidly declining domestic market. The second half of the year is likely to see efforts to remove obstacles to growth in new vehicle sales and a further push to promote the automotive aftermarket. ECG members can access full details in the latest report.
Export analysis
Of the 5.09 million vehicles exported from China in the first half of 2026, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles accounted for 53.7%, while new energy vehicles (NEVs) accounted for 46.2%.
However, NEV exports overtook ICE vehicle exports in June. A total of 523,000 NEVs were exported from China during the month, compared with 514,000 ICE vehicles. NEV exports increased by 120% in the first half of the year.
Passenger cars accounted for the vast majority of vehicles exported from China. A total of 4.43 million passenger cars were exported in the first six months of the year, representing 86.9% of total exports.
Commercial vehicle exports reached 663,000 units, accounting for 13% of exports. Passenger vehicle exports increased by 72% year on year, while commercial vehicle exports rose by 32%.
China’s NEV exports in the first half of the year were dominated by passenger cars, which accounted for 97.7% of the total, with 2.3 million units exported.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for the largest share of NEV exports, representing 61%, with 1.43 million units exported. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for the remaining 39%, with 922,000 units exported.
BEV exports increased by 114% year on year, while PHEV exports rose by 136%.
Top OEM exporters from China
Chery continued to lead the rankings, exporting 939,000 vehicles in the first half of 2026, an increase of 71% year on year.
BYD ranked second with 729,000 units, representing an increase of 54%. SAIC was third with 677,000 units, also up 54% year on year.
Geely recorded a 147.8% increase in exports, reaching a volume of 585,000 units in the first half of 2026.
Destination Analysis: Chinese Vehicle Exports in H1 2026
Top Destination Regions
In the first six months of 2026, two regions experienced a significant increase in vehicle volumes from China and are now competing for the leading position.
Europe and Central and South America were the two largest destination regions, with approximately 1.1 million vehicles exported from China to each region during the first half of the year.
Russia and Central Asia followed with 810,000 units, while Southeast Asia received 670,000 units. Africa was the fifth-largest destination region for vehicles exported from China, with 590,000 units.
Although export volumes to the Middle East declined, the region still accounted for 460,000 vehicles in the first half of the year.
Top Destination Countries
Russia was the largest individual destination country for vehicles exported from China, importing 450,000 units in the first six months of 2026.
Brazil ranked second with 410,000 units, followed by the United Kingdom in third place with 260,000 units. Australia ranked fourth with 240,000 units, while Belgium, the main gateway to Europe, ranked fifth with 220,000 units.
Countries such as Italy and Spain also received significant volumes of vehicles directly from China, with 150,000 and 120,000 units respectively.
However, the surge in new energy vehicle exports is reshaping the rankings. Brazil is now the largest single destination country for NEV exports from China, receiving 299,803 units during the first half of the year.
Belgium followed with 209,217 units, while 181,260 NEVs were exported from China to the United Kingdom.
The average export price of an NEV, including both plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles, is significantly higher than that of a conventional ICE vehicle. As a result, Brazil ranked as the world’s largest importer of Chinese-made vehicles by value in the first half of 2026.
ECG members can access the full report in the Members’ Portal.