Summary: The state of Chinese automobile exports from 2010 to 2013

Growth rates in Chinese automobile exports have been changing very drastically as of late. In 2012, as domestic car sales continued to flounder, own brand and joint venture manufacturers begun turning their eyes towards foreign markets. As a result, export growth rates reached new highs, with the total export volume for the year exceeding one million units. In contrast, the domestic market has been a lot more promising over the first half of this year, while export sales fell nearly one percent.

The top importing nations of Chinese automobiles has also been rapidly changing. In 2010, top ten buyers of Chinese cars accounted for less than 50 percent of all automobile exports. That figure surpassed the 50 percent mark in the years 2001 and 2012, before falling again to below 50 percent this year.

Another unique characteristic about the Chinese automobile export market is which nations vehicles are destined for. In 2010, the top buyers of Chinese cars were Algeria, Iran and Vietnam. In 2011, it was Russia, Brazil and Iran, while in 2012 it was Russia, Algeria and Iran.

For the first half of this year, Algeria has consistently ranked as the top buyer of Chinese automobiles, purchasing $476 million worth of Chinese cars. It was followed by Chile and Russia, which have purchased $397 million and $362 million worth of automobiles, respectively.