Chinese EVs keep going progress around the world, as also reflected in the country’s rising car export figures, which have shot up since the pandemic. Auto exports from China increased from about 1 million to 2 million between 2020 and 2021, attracting a lot of media attention, and have continued to rise even more dramatically since then. In the 2023, they have reached almost 5 millionaccording to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
According to official numbers, in 2022, China shipped more cars abroad than Germany, becoming the second largest exporter, and in 2023 larger than Japan. Customs data, however, showed that China was still behind Japan with 5.2 million and 6.0 million cars leaving the two countries respectively in 2023. However, it seems clear that it is only a matter of time before the China becomes the largest exporter of the fourth most valuable commodity in the world.
Although most of the news about Chinese cars in Europe and North America focus on the country’s electric cars, these are far from being the largest exporter as China continues to ship large numbers of conventional cars to Asia, the Middle East and Africa. EV sales in Europe have been rising the most, however, and the share of electric vehicles in China’s auto exports has risen to 25 percent from 15 percent just two years ago. As EV sales are slowing in China, automakers are making more export efforts than they feel overseas.
The Chinese cars have received a mixed reception in the West, as excitement over price advantages in the still very expensive EV segment was met with concerns over safety and quality. Surveys in several European countries show that negative perceptions of Chinese cars remain high. The United States, where cars have made less progress, even launched an investigation late last month into data security concerns about Chinese connected cars, with President Joe Biden saying in a statement that the move it was an “unprecedented action to ensure that automobiles on U.S. roads from countries of concern such as China do not undermine our national security.” The European Commission opened an investigation last October. Also under scrutiny are the vast sums of aid China has given to its automakers, allegedly in violation of international trade law.
