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Automotive OEM Vehicle Exports Surged in 2025
In 2025, China’s automotive OEM vehicle exports recorded exceptionally strong growth, with clear differentiation among manufacturers and vehicle segments. Leading automakers continued to expand their global presence, driven by rapid growth in new energy vehicle exports, steady performance in passenger cars, and resilient demand for trucks and buses. Domestic brands strengthened their competitiveness, while joint ventures and foreign brands adjusted export strategies amid changing global market dynamics. Overall, China’s automotive export landscape in 2025 reflects rising scale, improved structure, and enhanced global competitiveness across passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and new energy models.
Jan 19,2026
In 2025, the structure of China's automotive exporters continues to optimize, with a higher concentration among leading companies and the rapid rise of domestic passenger car brands. Passenger vehicles have become the core driver of export growth, while integrated supply chain advantages are further strengthening.
Looking ahead, as overseas production capacity expands, technological R&D deepens, and market diversification accelerates, China's automotive exports are expected to maintain steady growth. However, challenges such as trade barriers, supply chain risks, and intensifying global competition remain. To support high-quality and sustainable export growth, automakers should increase investment in core technologies, optimize export-oriented product portfolios, strengthen localized manufacturing and after-sales services, and enhance industry-wide collaboration to improve China's position in the global automotive value chain.
1. Overall Performance of China's Automotive Exports
In 2025, China's automotive exports demonstrated the key characteristics of“simultaneous volume and value growth with an optimized structure.”Total exports of domestically produced vehicles by Chinese automakers reached7.10 million units, representing a21% year-on-year increase, matching the growth rate of 2024. China continued to rank as the world's largest automobile exporter, highlighting a significant improvement in the value-added content and competitiveness of exported vehicles.
By segment,passenger vehicles emerged as the primary engine of export growth, significantly outperforming buses and coaches. Export destinations remained concentrated inEurope, ASEAN, and South America, while exports toBelt and Road Initiative (BRI) countriesmaintained a solid share, underscoring the effectiveness of China's diversified market strategy.
Overall, China's automotive exports in 2025 followed a“stable first three quarters and strong fourth quarter”trajectory. Exports grew steadily from Q1 to Q3, and despite weak domestic demand in Q4, overseas shipments accelerated sharply, reflecting the sector's strong resilience and sustained global demand for Chinese automobiles.
2. Export Performance: Strong Momentum from Domestic Brands, Improvement among Joint Ventures
In 2025, the structure of China's automotive exporters underwent notable changes, characterized byhigher concentration among leading players, the rapid rise of private domestic automakers, and a contraction in the export share of foreign-owned manufacturers. Industry resources are increasingly concentrated in leading companies with strong core technologies and global expansion capabilities.
Domestic brands delivered particularly strong performance, with their share of total vehicle exports rising from22% in 2024 to 24% in 2025, making them the primary driver of export growth. At the same time, joint-venture automakers continued to improve their export capabilities, with some operations evolving intoglobal production hubs. In contrast, the export share of foreign automakers' China-based production facilities declined from38% in 2022 to 27% in 2025, largely due to global capacity adjustments and intensifying competition from local brands.
Meanwhile,new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturersaccounted for a rapidly increasing share of exporters. Automakers withfully integrated supply chainsfurther strengthened their competitive advantages, reinforcing the role of industrial integration in supporting China's automotive export growth.
3. Export Performance of Major Automotive Groups
In 2025, China's leading automotive groups showed clear divergence in export performance, with top-tier players playing a strong leading role.BYDranked first, exporting1.05 million new energy vehicles, with particularly strong results in high-end markets such asEurope and Japan.SAIC Motorexported950,000 vehicles, leveraging synergies between its joint-venture operations and domestic brands to maintain a leading position inASEAN and South American markets.
Great Wall Motor and Geely Autoemerged as key growth contributors. Great Wall Motor sustained strong growth with a focus on the European market, while Geely achieved a breakthrough in Southeast Asia through brands such asZEEKR and Geometry, with export volumes doubling year on year.GAC Groupconcentrated on the Middle East and Africa, where its new energy vehicle exports delivered solid performance. Meanwhile, some small and mid-sized automotive groups achieved rapid export growth by targeting niche segments such ascommercial vehicles and special-purpose vehicles; however, their overall market share remains limited, further intensifying the industry's“Matthew effect.”
4. Export Performance by Vehicle Manufacturers
In 2025, export performance varied significantly across different types of vehicle manufacturers, with leading companies maintaining clear advantages.New energy passenger vehicle manufacturersdelivered the strongest results, asBYD, Leapmotor, and XPengall recorded leading year-on-year export growth.
Exports bytraditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle manufacturersslowed in growth but remained substantial in scale. Companies such asSAIC Passenger Vehicles and Changan Automobilemaintained market share through model upgrades, with export portfolios concentrated oneconomy sedans and SUVs, primarily targetingSoutheast Asia and African markets.
Commercial vehicle manufacturersmaintained stable export performance, withSinotruk and Foton Motorranking among global leaders in heavy-duty and light-duty truck exports. Overall,in-house R&D capabilitiesand increasingly comprehensiveoverseas sales and after-sales service networkshave become the key pillars supporting the global competitiveness of China's vehicle exporters.
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