China’s Auto Imports Drop 11% YoY in June 2026, Totaling 200,000 Units in H1

In June 2026, China imported 38,000 vehicles, a year-on-year decline of 11%. From January to June 2026, cumulative vehicle imports totaled 200,000 units, also down 11% compared to the same period last year. Retail sales of imported vehicles during the same period reached 190,000 units, a 29% year-on-year drop; June alone saw retail sales of 30,000 units, down 39% year-over-year. Although transportation disruptions caused by the U.S.-Iran conflict posed challenges, the overall decline in imports remained relatively modest due to the low base established in early 2025. The first half of 2026 marked one of the better-performing periods for vehicle imports in recent years, primarily benefiting from the low-base effect at the end of 2025. The current imported vehicle market has reverted to a structure dominated by conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. In June 2026, the top ten source countries for imported vehicles into China were, in order: Japan (18,486 units), Germany (9,272 units), Slovakia (4,122 units), the United States (3,359 units), the United Kingdom (1,426 units), Mexico (654 units), Austria (555 units), South Korea (128 units), South Africa (71 units), and Poland (70 units). Compared with the same month last year, the top five countries posting the largest year-on-year increases were: Japan (+5,131 units), Germany (+928 units), Austria (+303 units), Mexico (+290 units), and South Africa (+65 units).