According to data from analyst Cui Dongshu, the robust resilience of China's automotive supply chain has been fully evident since 2021, with the country's auto export market showing exceptional growth over the past two years. Chinese domestic automakers have demonstrated strong sales characteristics in certain overseas regions.

In 2025, local sales of Chinese domestic brands in consistently tracked overseas markets reached 3.54 million units, a 28% increase year-on-year. In June 2026, sales of Chinese domestic brands in overseas markets hit 490,000 units, a 69% surge, bringing the first-half total for 2026 to 2.46 million units, up 62% year-on-year. The retail performance of Chinese domestic brands in these countable overseas markets has been very strong.

Where to start

Globally, the total market share of Chinese domestic auto sales in overseas markets for the first half of 2026 was 7.3%, a 2.3 percentage point increase from the previous year. Sales volumes vary significantly across different regions. The share is 20% in the Southern Hemisphere, 11% in Europe, and around 8% in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The share in mainstream regions reaches approximately 10%, but exports to the US, Japan, and South Korea remain very cautious. In the first half of 2026, the market share of Chinese domestic new energy passenger vehicles in overseas markets was 24%, a 10 percentage point increase from the same period in 2025. The primary driver of this growth was the European Union market.

Section 1: Overseas Performance of Chinese Domestic Automakers

The monthly sales trend for Chinese domestic automakers in overseas regions has shown a roller-coaster pattern in recent years, with a summer peak and subsequent decline. Based on retail data for overseas exports, the monthly trend is relatively stable, with a recent strong growth trajectory. The pace of growth accelerated notably starting in 2025, driving exceptionally high year-on-year growth in early 2026. June sales reached a historic high, surpassing March sales.

Sales Characteristics of Chinese Domestic Automakers in Overseas Regions

Chinese domestic automakers have shown strong sales characteristics in certain overseas regions. In 2025, local sales of Chinese domestic brands in consistently tracked markets reached 3.54 million units, up 28% year-on-year. In June 2026, these sales reached 490,000 units, a 69% increase, bringing the first-half total to 2.46 million units, a 62% rise. The retail performance of Chinese domestic brands in these countable overseas markets has been very robust.

Significant Growth in Overseas Data for Chinese Exports

China's auto export performance has been exceptional, with rapid growth evident in Chinese customs data. Data from local overseas markets also confirms a strong and healthy growth trend for Chinese auto exports. The overseas market has shown volatile development, with strong retail performance in 2026 in Japan, Korea, Africa, and the EU. Weaker export performance was seen in regions like Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and India. The primary reason for the robust overseas growth rate is that a significant portion of past exports went to less developed countries like those in Africa, or markets that are difficult to track, meaning the overseas data was not fully representative. Now, exports are performing more prominently in some high-end markets. Consequently, the growth rate of China's auto exports based on overseas data has shown a strong upward trend from 2023 to 2025. Notably, since 2022, China's auto exports have experienced a period of explosive growth, with two consecutive years of strong growth in the European market. Growth weakened in 2024 due to pressure, resulting in a stronger performance in the EU market in 2025-2026.

Significant Increase in Overseas Market Share for Chinese Exports

The global market share of Chinese domestic auto sales in overseas markets for the first half of 2026 was 7.3%, a 2.3 percentage point increase year-on-year. Sales volumes vary significantly worldwide. The share is 20% in the Southern Hemisphere, 11% in Europe, and around 8% in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The share in mainstream regions is about 10%, but exports to the US, Japan, and South Korea remain very cautious. The market share of Chinese domestic new energy passenger vehicles in overseas markets for the first half of 2026 was 24%, a 10 percentage point increase from the same period in 2025. Due to the strong performance of domestic new energy exports and the significant contraction of the US new energy vehicle market, the market share of Chinese domestic new energy passenger vehicles in overseas markets has increased substantially. Currently, the share of new energy vehicles in South America exceeds 79%, and in Southeast Asia, it reaches 45%.

Strong Growth in Overseas Data for Domestic Brand Exports

In the first half of 2026, the overseas sales share of Chinese domestic brands was led by a dominant position in Russia. Shares exceeded 20% in Oceania and Africa, and were around 15% in Central and South America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The share was 8% in the EU, and almost zero in Japan, Korea, and the US. Domestic brands hold the top position in Russia, are second to Japanese brands in Oceania, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and are third in the EU, Middle East, and Central and South America, behind EU local brands and Japanese brands. Some countries, like India, still have their own automotive industries, and the multi-polar nature of the world's auto industry remains unchanged.

Significant Increase in Overseas Market Share for Chinese Auto Companies

In 2026, Chinese automakers like CHERY AUTO, GEELY AUTO, BYD COMPANY, Saic Motor Corporation Limited, and GWMOTOR have significantly increased their market share in Oceania and Southeast Asia. Brands like Toyota, Honda, and Suzuki from Japan are facing increasing pressure in Oceania, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Section 2: Tracking Chinese Domestic Automakers Overseas

The overseas export data for Chinese auto companies has shown a consistent strengthening trend in recent years, particularly with the strong performance of leading automakers. Major players like CHERY AUTO, BYD COMPANY, Saic Motor Corporation Limited, GWMOTOR, and GEELY AUTO have shown exceptionally strong performance. Notably, BYD COMPANY's exports have recently demonstrated extremely robust growth.

Overseas Status of Chinese Domestic New Energy Brands

In terms of brand export performance, the main highlights for China's new energy vehicle exports include BYD COMPANY, CHERY AUTO, SAIC's MG brand, GEELY AUTO, and Leapmotor. The recent overseas sales performance of CHERY AUTO's new energy vehicles has been particularly eye-catching. SAIC has shown a prominent transformation after EU sanctions.

Performance of Chinese Automakers in Overseas Markets

In mainstream overseas markets, domestic brands have distinct characteristics, with each manufacturer holding advantages in specific markets. CHERY AUTO maintains a strong scale, while BYD COMPANY is developing rapidly across the board, quickly entering some developed markets and achieving a certain scale, demonstrating the strong overseas competitiveness of domestic brands. Both CHERY AUTO and Saic Motor Corporation Limited have strong overseas market advantages. CHERY AUTO performs strongly in markets like Russia, Brazil, and South Africa, and has recently surpassed Saic Motor Corporation Limited in sales in the UK and Italy. Saic Motor Corporation Limited shows outstanding performance in markets such as the UK, Italy, and Australia. GEELY AUTO also performs well overseas, including in Russia and Saudi Arabia, though some of this is through its overseas brands. Chang'an performs well in markets like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Chile. GWMOTOR also shows a very positive trend in the Russian market, the South African market, and other markets. New energy vehicle startups have also achieved some results in overseas expansion. Both Xpeng and Leapmotor have a certain amount of overseas sales, with Israel being a significant market for Chinese domestic new energy startups.

Tracking Chinese New Energy Automakers in Overseas Markets

Data from some overseas markets corroborates with Chinese customs export data, showing strong performance in China's new energy vehicle exports, with domestic brands performing very well. Recently, the performance of Chinese automakers in major markets like Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia, Israel, the UK, Germany, and others has been on a significant scale. Saic Motor Corporation Limited, GEELY AUTO, and BYD COMPANY have performed relatively well in the Nordic market. New energy vehicle startups have also shown relatively good performance in the Netherlands and Norway. Several startups have primarily landed in Europe through Norway, achieving a certain scale. This demonstrates that Chinese automakers are achieving successful breakthroughs in overseas markets.