China June 2026 Car Exports Breach 1M Mark for First Time

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) released the automotive industry data report for June 2026.

According to the data, monthly production and sales reached 2.76 million and 2.81 million vehicles respectively, up 5.5% and 6.9% month‑over‑month, but down 1.2% and 3.2% year‑over‑year.

In the first half of the year, cumulative production and sales stood at 14.993 million and 15.017 million vehicles, down 4% and 4.1% year‑over‑year respectively, with the declines narrowing further compared with the first five months.

The report emphasised that beneath the aggregate numbers, structural divergence across three dimensions is the truly noteworthy signal.

I. Domestic demand under pressure, exports surpass one million

In June, domestic auto sales reached 1.773 million units, up 4.3% month‑over‑month but down 23.3% year‑over‑year. In the first half of the year, cumulative domestic sales totalled 9.921 million units, a year‑on‑year decline of 21.1%.

The double‑digit drop in domestic demand indicates that end‑consumer momentum in the domestic market remains sluggish.

In stark contrast to weak domestic demand, exports surged—June auto exports reached 1.037 million units, up 11.6% month‑over‑month and 75.1% year‑over‑year, marking the first time monthly exports exceeded one million units. In the first half, cumulative exports reached 5.096 million units, up 65.3% year‑over‑year.

Not only did total exports climb to a new level, but their structure also changed.

In June, new energy vehicle (NEV) exports reached 523,000 units, up 17.2% month‑over‑month and 1.6 times year‑over‑year; conventional fuel vehicle exports stood at 514,000 units, up 6.4% month‑over‑month and 32.7% year‑over‑year. In the first half, cumulative NEV exports reached 2.355 million units, up 1.2 times year‑over‑year, while conventional fuel vehicle exports reached 2.741 million units, up 35.5% year‑over‑year.

From the data, the growth rate of NEV exports has far surpassed that of conventional fuel models, and new energy vehicles are gradually becoming the core driver of export growth.

II. Commercial vehicles recover

For passenger vehicles, June production and sales reached 2.373 million and 2.402 million units respectively, up 5.9% and 6.6% month‑over‑month, but down 2.8% and 5.3% year‑over‑year.

In the first half, cumulative passenger vehicle production and sales were 12.721 million and 12.720 million units, down 5.9% and 6% year‑over‑year respectively.

By contrast, the commercial vehicle market followed a distinctly different trajectory. In June, commercial vehicle production and sales reached 387,000 and 409,000 units, up 3.3% and 8.5% month‑over‑month, and up 9.5% and 10.7% year‑over‑year.

III. Further contraction of the conventional fuel vehicle market

By energy type, the overall trend shows steady growth in new energy vehicles, further contraction of the conventional fuel vehicle market, and a continued shift from old to new growth drivers.

Data show that in June, domestic sales of conventional fuel passenger vehicles stood at 490,000 units, down 49.9% year‑over‑year; in the January‑June period, cumulative sales reached 3.694 million units, down 31.9% year‑over‑year.

The report notes that among conventional fuel passenger vehicles, sales are currently concentrated in the A‑segment, with cumulative sales reaching 3.163 million units, down 15.6% year‑over‑year.

In contrast, June NEV production and sales reached 1.598 million and 1.643 million units respectively, up 26% and 23.6% year‑over‑year, accounting for 58.5% of total new vehicle sales. In the first half, cumulative production and sales reached 7.438 million and 7.446 million units, up 6.7% and 7.3% year‑over‑year respectively.

Specifically, BEV sales reached 1.142 million units, up 33% year‑over‑year, while PHEV sales reached 500,000 units, up 6.5% year‑over‑year. The report points out that sales are mainly concentrated in the B‑segment, with cumulative sales of 1.978 million units, up 16.3% year‑over‑year.

Finally, let us look at the performance of key automakers.

In the first half of the year, the combined sales of the top 15 automotive groups by sales volume reached 13.979 million units, down 4% year‑over‑year, accounting for 93.1% of total sales. The top three automakers were SAIC, BYD, and Geely.

In the new energy sector, the combined sales of the top 15 NEV automakers in the same period reached 7.209 million units, up 7.1% year‑over‑year, accounting for 96.8% of total NEV sales. The top three were BYD, Geely, and SAIC.

In terms of exports, among the top ten vehicle exporters, Chery led with 939,000 units exported, accounting for 18.4% of the total. Compared with the same period last year, Geely recorded the most significant export growth, with exports reaching 585,000 units, up 1.5 times year‑over‑year.