- China’s imports plunged to 23,000 units in August, a 51% year-on-year drop, reflecting sharper localization by foreign brands and intensifying domestic price and product competition.
- August import mix: 22,025 passenger cars (96%); 4WD SUVs 46% of passenger imports; sedans 38% in August and 49% year-to-date; NEV passenger imports January–August BEVs 1,828, PHEVs 1,382.
- Germany and the US led August sources with 7,393 and 4,972 units respectively while Japan fell to fifth for the month, exposing risks from faster local production, dealer inventory shifts and squeezed margins for import-dependent brands.
China imported 23K vehicles in August, down 51% year-on-year and 48% month-on-month. Cumulative January-August imports reached 270K units, down 17% YoY, according to the latest data from Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the CPCA.
The import market has remained under pressure throughout the year, with the decline accelerating sharply in August.
The August drop was largely driven by a steep decline in imports from Japan. Rising domestic competition and faster localization by international automakers are also squeezing demand for imported vehicles.
Germany, US lead August import sources. August figures: Germany 7,393; US 4,972; Slovakia 3,645; UK 2,366; Japan 2,173. Japan, previously the top source, dropped to fifth for the month.
Japan remained the largest source on a cumulative basis. January-August figures: Japan 129,253; Germany 59,183; US 27,559; Slovakia 19,004; UK 16,315.
Passenger cars continued to dominate imports. China imported 22,025 passenger cars in August, accounting for about 96% of total vehicle imports.
August 4WD SUVs accounted for 46% of imported passenger cars, while sedans made up 38%. January-August figures: sedans 49%; 4WD SUVs 25%.
Imported NEVs remain in contraction. January-August BEV passenger car imports totaled 1,828 units, down 37% YoY; PHEVs totaled 1,382, down 62%. NEVs accounted for just 2% of total vehicle imports.
Gasoline models continued to underpin the import market. China imported 20,815 pure gasoline passenger cars in August, making them the dominant powertrain among imported passenger vehicles.
Imported luxury demand is becoming increasingly concentrated. Lexus accounted for 44.6% of retail sales in China’s imported luxury car market in August, up from 37.6% in 2025, a gain of about 7 percentage points. BMW, Porsche and Land Rover also posted relatively stronger performances.
The ultra-luxury segment remained under pressure. January-August imports totaled 864 Bentley vehicles, 303 Maseratis, 294 Rolls-Royces and 338 Ferraris, with most major brands posting YoY decline
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