Statistics show China exported 1.07 million new vehicles in first three months of 2023 compared to Japan’s 954,185.
China says it has become the world’s biggest exporter of cars after overtaking Japan during 2023’s first quarter.
Statistics released by Customs in China show the country exported 1.07 million units in the period for a 58 per cent rise compared to the first three months of last year.
Japan’s vehicle exports for the same period came in at 954,185 units thanks to a year-on-year increase of six per cent.
Exports from China, which last year overtook Germany to become the world’s second-largest car exporter, have been boosted by demand for electric vehicles and sales to Russia, reports the BBC.
First-quarter exports of new energy vehicles (NEVs) from China, which includes electric cars, rose by more than 90 per cent compared to a year earlier.
The Chinese division of Tesla SAIC, which owns MG, and BYD, which makes the Atto 3, pictured, are among the country’s top exporters of NEVs.
Tesla has a huge manufacturing plant in Shanghai, which exports to regions including Japan and Europe. Its “gigafactory” can produce 1.25m vehicles a year and the company wants to increase capacity. In April, it started making the Model Y for export to Canada.
China has also seen exports to Russia surge since the start of the Ukraine war with western countries imposing trade sanctions on Moscow.
In 2022, Chinese carmakers, including Geely, Chery and Great Wall, saw their market share in Russia jump after rivals, such as Volkswagen and Toyota, quit the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
Keyword: China pips Japan for exports