Beijing, May 07: China produced 1.30 million automobiles during the first three months this year, 1.28 million of which have been sold, up 25.63 per cent and 28.98 per cent respectively from the same period last year. The statistics released by the China Automotive Industry Association also show that the country produced 576,900 sedan cars and 567,000 of them were sold during January-March this year, up 41.86 per cent and 44.47 per cent respectively from the same period last year.

The country exported 51,864 automobiles, including completely knocked down (CKD) units in the first quarter of this year, up 279.7 per cent year-on-year, according to customs statistics. Export value of these automobiles totalled USD 116 million, which amounted to only a fraction of the 1.56 billion dollars of automobile imports in the same period.

Special-purpose vehicles, including vehicles for use in golf games and on beaches, made up 75 per cent of the country's auto exports in this period. Other major exported vehicles were heavy-duty trucks, station wagons, cars, coaches and cross-country vehicles.

The exports of automobiles and auto parts and components totalled 1.49 billion dollars in the first quarter, an increase of 50.9 per cent year-on-year.

The country imported 51,205 automobiles (including CKDs) in the first quarter.

Bureau Report