In 2025, China exported 7.098 million cars, ranking first globally! But Russia, the “big brother,” suddenly backed down, and Mexico quickly took its place. Why? The data was so disheartening that I spent the night rummaging through my fridge—even my iced cola hadn’t cooled down.
This time last year, my best friend Xiaoya was running a Chinese car import store in Moscow. In 2024, she exported 1.05 million cars to Russia, and her WeChat Moments were filled with posts about her “booming sales,” her smile sweeter than the New Year’s treats.
This year? With tariffs added, cars piled up in warehouses, and from January to November, only 510,000 remained. She messaged me at 3 AM: “Boss, this policy is even harder to handle than the previous one!” Panicked, she immediately switched to Mexico. And the result? On the first day of her new store’s opening, 10 BYD cars were snapped up.
Now she posts on WeChat Moments every day: “Chinese cars, truly amazing!” Mexico has become a new favorite for car companies, with exports reaching 570,000 vehicles from January to November, completely crushing Russia.
Looking at the competition among automakers: Chery firmly holds the top spot, exporting 1.344 million vehicles, accounting for 18.9% of the total. BYD, the dark horse, is incredibly strong, exporting 1.054 million vehicles, a 1.4-fold increase, jumping from sixth to second place! In December alone, it exported 133,000 vehicles, just 10,000 short of Chery’s 144,000.
Even more impressive is BYD’s factory in Brazil, scheduled to begin production by the end of 2025, allowing it to take off in the second half of the year. And Chery? Its global strategy has been upgraded to “In somewhere, For somewhere, Be somewhere”—not just selling cars, but becoming a local partner.
New energy vehicles are the real game-changer. Exports reached 2.615 million units, more than doubling! Pure electric vehicles accounted for 1.646 million, while plug-in hybrids reached 969,000, a 2.3-fold increase. Why are plug-in hybrids so popular? China Merchants Bank succinctly explained: “In emerging markets, plug-in hybrids can avoid direct competition with foreign companies, giving them pricing power and driving profits sky-high.” For example, in Mexico, plug-in hybrids are selling like hotcakes, with Xiaoya’s Tang DM orders booked until next year.
The export map has completely changed: Mexico 570,000, Russia 510,000, UAE 460,000, and Brazil 280,000. Russia, which suddenly became a hot buyer in 2023 (once the largest buyer), has cooled down by 2025. Cui Dongshu succinctly stated: “In 15 years, China’s car exports will undergo a dramatic transformation.” Imports to Russia were booming in 2008, but tariffs were fully refunded. Now, the same scenario is repeating itself, but this time there’s an improvement—Mexico and the UAE have filled the gap.
The EU market also needs close monitoring. China’s largest buyer of pure electric vehicles is the EU, with 580,000 units exported. Following the EU-China negotiations and the implementation of price commitments, automakers are adjusting their product structures, and sales are expected to rebound. UBS predicts an additional 1.5 million units will be sold in 2026, even more than last year.
In short, Chinese automakers have long since stopped going it alone. Chery and BYD are building factories and localizing overseas, not just “selling cars,” but “establishing a foothold.” UBS cautions that growth may slow in 2026, but this is the price of growth. Foreigners no longer buy “cheap goods”; they want trust based on understanding.
Writing this late at night, I’m reminded of Xiaoya’s quote: “When wheels roll across borders, what’s being sold isn’t just a lump of iron, but a heartbeat.” Do you see any Chinese cars running near your home? Let’s discuss in the comments! If this post gets over 500 likes, I’ll write a sequel—the next installment revealing the amazing phenomenon of “BYD owners vying for photos on the streets of Mexico.”
