In the first 10 months of 2026, China's auto exports approached 10 million vehicles. Exports and overseas sales of major automakers surged, with overseas sales accounting for more than 50% of Chery Group's and Great Wall Motor's sales.

Total volume: Over 1 million per month since June, cumulative 9.27 million in the first 10 months

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that China's auto exports have repeatedly reached new heights: they exceeded 2 million vehicles for the first time in 2021, surpassed 3 million, 4 million, and 5 million vehicles in 2022–2024 respectively, and jumped directly to more than 7 million vehicles in 2025.

The momentum in 2026 is even stronger: in previous years, exports increased by more than 1 million vehicles per year, while starting from June 2026, monthly exports exceeded 1 million vehicles.

After monthly export volume exceeded 1 million vehicles for the first time in June this year, monthly exports from July to October all remained above 1 million vehicles, with October reaching a new high of 1.066 million vehicles (+60.2% year on year). Cumulative exports in January–October reached 9.271 million vehicles (+65.1% year on year), already exceeding full-year 2025 exports (7.098 million vehicles). Full-year 2026 exports are expected to exceed 11 million vehicles.

Exports' share of China's total auto sales has also risen sharply: before 2021 it was below 6%, rose to 7.7% in 2021, then increased year by year, exceeded 20% in 2025, reached 29.0% in January 2026, and then surged above 30% for the following nine months, peaking at 40.4% (in July, the off-season for domestic auto sales), with the cumulative share in the first 10 months reaching 35.3%.

In cumulative January–October terms, although domestic auto sales fell 22.9% year on year, driven by a 65.1% surge in exports, total auto sales (26.286 million vehicles) fell only 5.1% year on year.

Automakers: Export sales share climbing, some as high as 70%

At the automaker level, exports or overseas sales of major domestic automakers grew substantially. For example, in cumulative January–October terms, Geely Automobile's and Chery Group's exports grew 167.9% and 64.8% year on year respectively, while SAIC Motor's exports and overseas base sales grew 54.0% year on year. In October alone, BYD Group, Geely Automobile, and Chery Group's auto exports grew 102.8%, 157.8%, and 58.7% year on year respectively; XPeng Group's overseas market deliveries (13,326 vehicles) grew 166% year on year; SAIC Motor's exports and overseas base sales grew 67.3% year on year; and GAC Group's own-brand exports grew 80.8% year on year.

Overseas sales of Chery Group and Great Wall Motor have exceeded their domestic sales: Chery Group's cumulative exports in January–October were 1,751,766 vehicles, accounting for 70.0% of its total sales, and its export share in October alone was as high as 67.8%. Great Wall Motor's cumulative overseas sales in January–October accounted for 51.8% of its total sales, and in October alone it reached 52.2%.

The export or overseas sales share of other automakers is also rising rapidly: in cumulative January–October terms, BYD's export volume share has reached 41.8%, SAIC Motor's export and overseas base sales share has risen to 37.1%, and BAIC Group's overseas market sales (more than 306,000 vehicles) account for about 23%. In October alone, Changan Automobile's overseas sales were 102,400 vehicles, accounting for 43.8% of its total sales (233,800 vehicles); GAC Group's own-brand exports were 26,017 vehicles, accounting for 35.9% of GAC Group's total own-brand auto sales.

Note: Statistical methods differ among the groups. BYD, Chery Group, Geely Automobile, and GAC Group's own brands use export volume; SAIC Motor uses exports and overseas base sales; Changan Automobile, BAIC Group, and Great Wall Motor use overseas sales; XPeng Group uses overseas market deliveries.

In the process of going global, Chinese automakers also face many difficulties: with multiple barriers closing in, how can whole vehicles and parts break through?

If you are experiencing the thorns of going global, come to the China Automotive Industry Chain Going Global Conference in Shanghai Lingang on December 11 and hear predecessor companies share their going-global practices. Guests will give TED-style speeches without scripts and explain various going-global cases thoroughly.