Industryweek 5575 China Highways
Industryweek 5575 China Highways
Industryweek 5575 China Highways
Industryweek 5575 China Highways
Industryweek 5575 China Highways

China Auto Sales Rise in 2013

March 11, 2013
A total of 3.39 million vehicles were sold in the country in January and February, rising 14.7% from the same period last year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said.

BEIJING — Auto sales in China, the world's top car market, rose in the first two months of the year, an industry group said Monday, indicating strong demand as the country's economy gradually recovers.

A total of 3.39 million vehicles were sold in the country in January and February, rising 14.7% from the same period last year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said in a statement.

"The auto industry had a good start this year and the overall market demand for cars has remained strong," said the statement.

Giving the figure for the two months reduces seasonal distortions due to the Lunar New Year holiday, which fell in February this year but January in 2012.

Total auto sales declined by around 14% year-on-year to 1.35 million units in February, the CAAM said, blaming the week-long holiday for the drop.

That came after sales surged 46.4% year-on-year in January, setting a record for any month, thanks to a consumer tradition of spending annual bonuses before the holiday and a low comparative base in the first month of 2012.

Sales of passenger vehicles declined by 8.3% year-on-year last month to 1.11 million units, the association said, but over the first two months of the year they jumped 19.5% year-on-year to 2.84 million units.

China's annual auto sales rose only 4.3% year-on-year to 19.31 million units in 2012, hit by limits on numbers imposed by some cities to ease traffic congestion and try to tackle pollution.

A territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo that triggered anti-Japanese protests hurt sales of cars made in Japan, but other foreign brands have fared better due to customers' perceptions of higher quality.

The CAAM said sales of Japanese passenger cars fell by 17.1% in the January-February period from a year ago, while those of other foreign brands all rose, with German, South Korean and French labels surging over 30 percent.

Growth in the world's second-largest economy slowed to a 13-year low of 7.8% in 2012, but a pick-up in the final three months raised hopes for a rebound this year.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2013

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!