China imports 139,000 automobiles in H1, up 34.9 percent

China imported 139,000 vehicles in the first half year, up 34.93 % from a year earlier, but growth rate dropped 26.77 percent from last year. The total import value amounted to $4.43 billion, up 29.31 percent, but growth rate declined 45.98%.

During the first six months, China imported 20,000 units every month except February, while in June imports topped 30,000 vehicles, the highest month in the first half. China’s auto imports in Q1 and Q2 were 59,100 and 79,900 respectively.

Imports of sedans and cross-country vehicles increased to 64,200 and 60,600 units, up 38.64 and 37.63 percent respectively, while imports of minivans saw a drop of 4.69 percent to 8,500 units.

Imports of the above three automobiles categories in the first six months were 133,300 units, accounting for 96 percent of the total. Imports of sedans with an engine size beyond 3 liters climbed 57.80 percent to 20,900, while those sedans with 2.5 and 3.0 liters engine surged by 76.47 percent to 25,000. Imports of these two sedans were 45,900, representing 72 percent of the total sedan imports.

In addition, China imported 24,900 vehicles from Germany, which represents 38.79 percent of China’s total imports. Following Germany, United States exported 13,400 units to China and Japan exported 12,300. In the first six months imports from the three countries were 50,600 units, representing 79 percent of the total imports.

In cross-country vehicle segment, imports of the model with engines larger than 3 liters went up 37.63 percent to 60,600 units, but the growth rate dropped 36.32 percent. Total import value of these vehicles increased 36.54 percent to $1.76 billion with a plunge in growth rate by 55.90 percent. Models with engine size between1.5 and 2.5 liters surged 170 percent to 9,200 units.

Japan exported 910,000 cross-country vehicles to China, which represents 48 percent of China’s total cross-country imports. Japan is followed by South Korea and the United States, which exports 13,500 and 6,140 cross-country vehicles China.