CCTV News: According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, China’s automobile exports exceeded 6.4 million units in 2024, ranking first in the world.
On February 27, 2025, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the General Administration of Customs jointly released data showing that China’s automobile exports in 2024 reached 6.407 million units, a year-on-year increase of 22.7%, ranking first in the global automobile export list for the second consecutive year.
The export value also climbed to US$117.35 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.5%, marking the Chinese automobile industry’s move from “quantity increase” to “quality and price increase”.
New energy vehicles and fuel vehicles are making efforts on both fronts
In terms of export structure, new energy vehicles have become a key growth engine. In 2024, China’s new energy vehicle exports will exceed the 2 million mark for the first time. The General Administration of Customs has set a statistical caliber of 2.01 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 12%, accounting for one-third of the global new energy vehicle trade volume.
BYD, SAIC and other brands have rapidly penetrated markets such as Europe and Southeast Asia with technologies such as blade batteries and smart driving, and the average price of a single vehicle has exceeded US$15,000.
At the same time, the export volume of traditional fuel vehicles reached 4.4 million, a year-on-year increase of 26%. The demand for cost-effective fuel vehicles in markets such as Russia and the Middle East continues to be strong, and brands such as Chery and Great Wall have seized market share through localized production.
Deep expansion of global market layout
Emerging markets such as Russia, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates have become important breakthroughs.
In 2024, China exported 1.158 million vehicles to Russia, a year-on-year increase of 35%, accounting for 18% of the total exports. Brands such as Chery and Haval occupied the top ten local sales list.
The Mexican market followed closely with an export volume of 445,000 vehicles. Chinese automakers have built Mexico into a hub radiating the Americas through the “local manufacturing + re-export to North America” strategy.
The high-end market in Europe has also made breakthroughs. The sales of new energy vehicles in Belgium, Germany and other places have increased significantly. Supply chain companies such as CATL have simultaneously built factories in Europe to build a closed loop of “R&D-manufacturing-sales”.
Leading car companies lead the global competition
In terms of car company performance, Chery won the championship with an export volume of 1.14 million vehicles, with an average of one new car delivered to overseas users every 27 seconds. Its market share in Russia and South America continues to lead.
BYD has become the biggest “dark horse” with a year-on-year growth rate of 71.8% with an export volume of 433,000 new energy vehicles, and the European market contributed more than 30% of its sales.
SAIC Group and Changan Automobile have consolidated the global influence of Chinese brands with export volumes of 1.082 million and 536,000 vehicles respectively.
Industrial chain collaboration and green transformation go hand in hand
The collaborative model of “Beijing R&D-Tianjin-Hebei manufacturing-Tianjin export” in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei has become a model for industrial upgrading.
As the largest automobile hub in the north, Tianjin Port will handle more than 40 million vehicles in 2024, with nearly half of the vehicles coming from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei automakers.
By opening more than 30 ro-ro routes such as direct flights to Mexico and taking the lead in achieving “zero carbon” operation of ro-ro terminals, Tianjin Port helps automakers meet European and American carbon footprint requirements with green logistics.
At the policy level, the “Opinions on Supporting the Healthy Development of New Energy Vehicle Trade Cooperation” issued by the Ministry of Commerce and nine other departments provide all-round escort from finance, logistics to risk prevention and control, and promote the leap of the industrial chain to the high end.
Resilient growth in the face of headwinds
Despite challenges such as the EU’s 35.3% tariff on electric vehicles and trade barriers in some countries, Chinese automakers have mitigated risks through “localized production + supply chain going overseas”.
Chery’s Mexican factory and Great Wall’s Brazilian base have accelerated production, and Guoxuan High-tech’s Morocco lithium battery project has landed, marking the transformation of China’s auto industry from single product exports to technology, capital, and standard exports.
The industry predicts that China’s auto exports are expected to exceed 7 million vehicles in 2025, and the proportion of new energy will rise to more than 25%. The “China moment” of the global auto industry has arrived.
Data sources:
1: China Automobile Import and Export Market Analysis Report December 2024 Edition
2: 2024 China Automobile Export Data Overview Analysis
3: Tianjin Port Automobile Export Record Report
Source of article: Brother Feng’s Feng Chehai.com
