According to Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute, China's passenger vehicle exports continued to expand from January to September 2026, reaching a wide range of markets, including Russia, Brazil, the UK, Belgium and Australia. New energy passenger vehicle exports also maintained strong growth, with Brazil, Belgium and the UK ranking as the top three destinations. Export volumes, YoY growth rates and powertrain mixes varied across markets, highlighting the continued diversification of China's export footprint and the parallel development of conventional and new energy vehicle exports.
Top 10 destinations by China-made passenger vehicle exports
Russia: 727,579 passenger vehicles (+114.1% YoY) from January to September 2026
Brazil: 511,323 passenger vehicles (+150.3% YoY) from January to September 2026
UK: 417,120 passenger vehicles (+93.0% YoY) from January to September 2026
Belgium: 360,598 passenger vehicles (+59.4% YoY) from January to September 2026
Australia: 337,490 passenger vehicles (+82.1% YoY) from January to September 2026
Mexico: 261,591 passenger vehicles (-18.8% YoY) from January to September 2026
Italy: 236,431 passenger vehicles (+127.8% YoY) from January to September 2026
UAE: 221,988 passenger vehicles (-35.7% YoY) from January to September 2026
Spain: 196,780 passenger vehicles (+72.3% YoY) from January to September 2026
Thailand: 162,057 passenger vehicles (+103.9% YoY) from January to September 2026
According to Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute, China's top 10 passenger vehicle export destinations showed clear regional differences from January to September 2026. Russia ranked first, followed by Brazil with 511,323 units. The UK, Belgium and Australia ranked third to fifth, respectively. Europe accounted for two of the top five destinations, while markets in South America, the CIS and Oceania also contributed significant export volumes, highlighting the continued expansion of China's passenger vehicle export footprint.
Russia remained China's largest passenger vehicle export destination, with conventional fuel vehicles accounting for the majority of shipments. From January to September, China exported 727,579 passenger vehicles to Russia, up 114.1% YoY. Conventional fuel passenger vehicles accounted for 654,184 units, or approximately 90% of the total. Thailand, by contrast, showed a markedly different export mix: pure electric passenger vehicle exports reached 144,696 units, representing approximately 89% of the total.
Brazil was among the fastest-growing major export markets, while European destinations also maintained solid growth. From January to September, China exported 511,323 passenger vehicles to Brazil, up 150.3% YoY, the highest growth rate among the top 10 destinations. Exports to the UK, Italy and Spain increased by 93.0%, 127.8% and 72.3%, respectively, while Belgium and Australia recorded growth of 59.4% and 82.1%. Exports to Italy reached 236,431 units, up 127.8%, reflecting the continued expansion of China's passenger vehicle exports across European markets.
Some established export markets, however, experienced declines, highlighting diverging market performance. Mexico ranked sixth with 261,591 units, down 18.8% YoY, while exports to the UAE fell 35.7% to 221,988 units, the steepest decline among the top 10 destinations. Mexico's export mix was similar to Russia's, with conventional fuel passenger vehicles accounting for 199,913 units, or approximately 76% of its total.
Top 10 destinations by China-made new energy passenger vehicle exports
Brazil: 367,793 new energy passenger vehicles (+172.3% YoY) from January to September 2026
Belgium: 347,322 new energy passenger vehicles (+59.2% YoY) from January to September 2026
UK: 311,087 new energy passenger vehicles (+108.2% YoY) from January to September 2026
Australia: 252,823 new energy passenger vehicles (+181.9% YoY) from January to September 2026
Thailand: 154,702 new energy passenger vehicles (+122.2% YoY) from January to September 2026
Germany: 139,734 new energy passenger vehicles (+143.0% YoY) from January to September 2026
Italy: 130,298 new energy passenger vehicles (+240.5% YoY) from January to September 2026
Spain: 129,593 new energy passenger vehicles (+94.2% YoY) from January to September 2026
South Korea: 122,371 new energy passenger vehicles (+114.1% YoY) from January to September 2026
UAE: 88,835 new energy passenger vehicles (-1.2% YoY) from January to September 2026
From January to September 2026, China's new energy passenger vehicle exports showed a diversified destination mix, with Brazil, Belgium and the UK ranking as the top three markets, each receiving more than 300,000 units. Australia ranked fourth with 252,823 units, while Thailand, Germany, Italy, Spain and South Korea also entered the top 10. In terms of year-on-year growth, most of the leading destinations maintained strong momentum, with Italy, Australia and Brazil recording particularly high increases of 240.5%, 181.9% and 172.3%, respectively. These figures highlight the continued expansion of China's new energy passenger vehicle exports across multiple overseas markets.
Brazil, Belgium and the UK formed the first tier of export destinations, but their powertrain mixes differed. Brazil ranked first with 367,793 units, including 186,628 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 181,165 plug-in hybrid and range-extended electric vehicles (PHEVs/REEVs), indicating a relatively balanced mix. Belgium ranked second with 347,322 units, of which 245,360 were BEVs, accounting for approximately 71% of its total and highlighting the strong presence of pure electric models. The UK ranked third with 311,087 units, with a similarly balanced powertrain mix. These differences suggest that Chinese automakers are using a range of product offerings, from BEVs to PHEVs, to address varying demand across overseas markets.
BEVs dominated China's new energy passenger vehicle exports to Thailand, Australia and South Korea. In Thailand, exports reached 154,702 units, including 144,696 BEVs, which accounted for approximately 94% of the total. This is consistent with the market's strong reliance on pure electric models in China's broader passenger vehicle exports to the country. Australia received 193,393 BEVs, representing approximately 76% of its total new energy passenger vehicle imports from China. In South Korea, BEV exports reached 119,084 units, accounting for approximately 97% of the total.
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