China's auto exports from January to June 2023 surpassed Japan for the first time, ranking first in the world.

China's auto exports in the first half of the year surpassed Japan for the first time

China's auto exports from January to June 2023 surpassed Japan for the first time, ranking first in the world.

According to the "Nikkei Chinese" report, this is the second time after surpassing Japan after January to March. Exports of new energy vehicles such as pure electric vehicles (EV) accounted for 25% of the total. In addition to Russia, where Japanese, American and European automakers have withdrawn, China's exports to Europe have also increased. In the context of weak domestic consumption in China, China's influence in the global auto market is likely to further increase.

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed auto exports by major players rose 76 percent year-on-year to 2.14 million vehicles in the January-June period. According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Japan's auto exports during the same period were 2.02 million units (an increase of 17% year-on-year), and China surpassed Japan for the first time.

What drives China's exports are new energy vehicles such as pure electric vehicles. From January to June, China's new energy vehicle exports increased 2.6 times, accounting for 25% of the total. From the perspective of various car companies, Tesla of the United States, which has positioned its Shanghai factory as an export base to Asia, has exported more than 180,000 vehicles from China, and BYD, a large Chinese manufacturer, has also exported more than 80,000 vehicles overseas.

From the point of view of export target regions, Russia is the most. According to customs data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in terms of exports from January to May, including gasoline vehicles, Russia exported the most, reaching 287,000 vehicles. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, South Korean, Japanese and European major companies drastically reduced their local operations. Chinese companies are filling the void.

In addition to Mexico, where the demand for gasoline vehicles is strong, Belgium, a transportation transshipment center in Europe where demand for new energy vehicles is growing, also ranks at the forefront. It can be seen that the influence of Chinese enterprises in Europe is strengthening.

In addition, China's new car sales in 2022 will reach 26.86 million, the highest in the world. Pure electric vehicles alone reached 5.36 million units, surpassing Japan's overall new car sales (4.2 million units), including gasoline vehicles.