Gasgoo.com (Shanghai January 20) - Chinese automobile exports in 2011 totaled 814,300 automobiles, increasing 49.45 percent from the previous year, the Nanfang Daily reported today. The near 50 percent year-on-year growth rate is a new record for the Chinese automobile industry.
Following years of hard work, Chery, Great Wall, JAC and other manufacturers have managed to make significant strides in overseas markets. For example, Chery managed to export 160,200 vehicles alone in 2011, increasing 73 percent from the previous year, manufacturer Spokesman Jin Yibo said. Meanwhile, Great Wall managed to export 83,117 vehicles last year, Shang Yugui, head of Great Wall's media relations, said, while JAC saw its exports over double in the same period of time.
Last year saw a major shift in the market for Chinese exports. In 2010, China's largest foreign markets were Algeria, Vietnam, Egypt, Syria and Chile. However, increasingly unstable political environments in the Middle East have forced Chinese manufacturers to concentrate on other regions. In 2011, China has instead been shifting towards South America. Despite Brazil's tax hike on imported vehicle last September, the country has now become one of the most important markets for Chinese automobile exports.
