China's Auto Exports Rise 66.8% to 6.14 Million in Jan-Jul 2026; NEV Share Above 50%

In the first seven months of 2026, China's auto exports reached 6.14 million vehicles, up 66.8% year on year. July exports continued their rapid growth trend, with monthly export volumes exceeding 1 million vehicles for two consecutive months, and new-energy vehicles accounting for more than 50% of exports for two straight months.

At the 2026 Global Cooperation and Development Forum on New Energy Vehicles held on August 20, participants said Chinese automakers should uphold coordinated overseas expansion, avoid clustering in the same markets, prevent the internal erosion of value among Chinese enterprises, and refrain from vicious competition in the same regions. Instead, they should focus on localised operations, contribute to local employment and tax revenue, and assume responsibility at the corporate, product and market levels.

The participants also suggested that Chinese automakers seek strategic alignment between overseas markets and China's auto industry—for instance, by repurposing global idle capacity for production instead of building excessive new plants; by encouraging Chinese parts suppliers that have completed global expansion to increase their worldwide capacity; by leveraging the existing advantages of multinational parts companies that have localised in China to support complete-vehicle exports; and by empowering overseas factories and enterprises with capabilities developed in electrification and intelligent technologies.