CAAM: Car sales in China decreased by 5.6% in January-March 2026

In the period from January to March of this year, car production and sales in China totaled 7.039 million units and 7.048 million units, down 6.9% and 5.6% year-on-year, respectively, according to the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

During the specified period, exports of cars from China amounted to 2.226 million units, which is 56.7% more than in the previous year.

In March alone, car production and sales in China totaled 2,917 million units and 2,899 million units, up 74.4% and 60.6% month-on-month, while decreasing 3.0% and 0.6% year-on-year, respectively. In March, China's auto exports totaled 875,000 units, up 30.2 percent month-on-month, while increasing 72.7 percent year-on-year.

In the first three months of this year, car sales in China showed a modest decline, while the rate of decline slowed compared to the January-February period of this year, indicating a positive trend in the automotive industry after the Chinese New Year holiday.