Exports surge 550% in five years! Chinese cars are selling like hotcakes globally: exports exceed 746.5 billion yuan in the first seven months.

According to data released by the China Passenger Car Association on August 22, based on customs statistics, China's automobile exports reached $110.8 billion (approximately 746.554 billion yuan) from January to July 2026, a year-on-year increase of 55%.

Among this, July alone saw automobile exports of $19 billion (approximately 128.019 billion yuan), up 60% year-on-year.

Looking at the annual trend, China's automobile exports have shown explosive growth. In 2021, annual automobile exports were only $34.5 billion, jumping to $117.4 billion in 2024, and reaching $142.4 billion in 2025.

Based on current monthly trends, full-year automobile exports in 2026 are expected to exceed $210.8 billion, an increase of more than 550% compared to 2021.

By category, passenger vehicle exports in July reached $15.3 billion, up 71% year-on-year; electric passenger vehicle exports in July reached $11.3 billion, up 92% year-on-year, becoming the core engine of export growth.

Ship exports in July reached $7.2 billion, up 92% year-on-year, also showing strong performance.

Auto parts exports, however, face a different situation. Parts exports in July reached $9.4 billion, up 14% year-on-year; the cumulative total from January to July was $60.7 billion, up 8% year-on-year.

Cui Dongshu pointed out that China's self-owned complete vehicle exports basically do not target the U.S. market, but auto parts exports still rely mainly on the U.S. market. Parts companies need to follow the development of self-owned vehicle manufacturers and shift away from relying on the European and American aftermarket system.

In terms of motorcycle exports, the cumulative total from January to July reached $13.4 billion, up 26% year-on-year; July alone saw $2.1 billion, up 25% year-on-year. In June 2026, motorcycle exports reached $2.4 billion, setting a new historical high.

Cui Dongshu stated that fuel motorcycles have seen slowing growth due to high oil prices, while electric motorcycles have surged. Motorcycles and automobiles face completely different markets, and China's motorcycle exports feature a diversified market layout.

Cui Dongshu specifically noted that motorcycles serve as a model for the automobile industry to learn from. Without domestic market support, the motorcycle industry has cultivated super-strong competitiveness through electrification and full market price competition, achieving ultra-high export growth in recent years with favorable export unit prices.

In overall merchandise trade, China's merchandise export value from January to July 2026 reached $2.5237 trillion, up 18% year-on-year.

Automobile exports lead in growth among all categories. Integrated circuit exports in July reached $77.5 billion, up 117% year-on-year, while electric passenger vehicles, ships, and other categories also performed prominently.