Chinese Cars Overtake Japanese in Australia for First Time, Becoming Top Import Source in June

On July 16, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) of Australia released data showing that in June 2024, vehicles made in China sold 46,600 units in the Australian market, capturing a market share of 35.5%. This marked the first time Chinese-made cars surpassed Japanese vehicles to become Australia’s largest source of imported automobiles. In the same period, Japanese-made vehicles sold 27,100 units (20.7% market share), while Thai-made vehicles sold 23,300 units (17.8%). Sales of Chinese-made vehicles nearly equaled the combined total of Japanese and Thai imports. In the overall Australian market for the month, South Korean-made vehicles ranked fourth with 14,900 units sold (11.3% share), followed by German-made vehicles in fifth place with 5,731 units (4.4%). The figure for Chinese-made vehicles includes approximately 8,600 Tesla units produced in Shanghai. By brand, Toyota led the market with 19,100 units sold, closely followed by BYD with 18,900 units—a difference of just 200 vehicles. Ford, Kia, and Hyundai ranked third through fifth, respectively, each selling fewer than 10,000 units for the month. Over ten Chinese automotive brands—including BYD, XPeng, Great Wall Motor, Chery, and GAC Group—have now entered the Australian market, offering more than ten different models. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), China’s automobile exports to Australia surged 80% year-on-year in May 2024, with an average export price of USD 23,100 per vehicle.