China vehicle imports decline sharply in September
China's imports of complete vehicles fell by 48.7% year-on-year in September, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
China imported 21,000 complete vehicles in September, marking a 48.7% decrease compared to the same month in 2025. The total value of these imports fell by 38.1% to $1.26 billion, according to data compiled by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) from customs records.
For the first nine months of 2026, the country imported 288,000 vehicles, a 20.1% decline from the previous year. The value of imports during this period reached $14.25 billion, representing a 21.9% drop.
This downward trend follows a significant contraction in 2025, when China’s imports of complete vehicles fell by 32.4% to 476,000 units. The decline highlights a sustained shift in the domestic automotive market, despite ongoing growth in the domestic new energy vehicle sector.