In 2025, China’s passenger vehicle exports reached 8.32 million units, marking a 30% increase year-on-year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). New energy vehicles (NEVs) accounted for 3.43 million of those exports, up 70% from 2024, significantly outpacing the previous year’s growth rate of 16%. The leading destinations for these exports were Mexico, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Top 10 Importers of Chinese Passenger Vehicles in 2025
- Mexico – 625,187 units
- Russia – 582,738 units
- UAE – 571,937 units
- United Kingdom – 335,551 units
- Brazil – 322,076 units
- Saudi Arabia – 302,189 units
- Belgium – 300,103 units
- Australia – 297,382 units
- Philippines – 256,681 units
- Kazakhstan – 211,545 units
Compared with 2024, Mexico rose to the top spot while UAE exports rebounded strongly, particularly in December. The UK and Australia maintained solid performance, whereas shipments to Brazil declined year-on-year.
NEV Export Composition
Among NEV exports, which include battery electric, plug-in hybrid and conventional hybrid models, electric vehicles made up 28% of total exports (up 2 percentage points), plug-in hybrids 13% (up 8 points) and hybrids 6% (up 2 points). Traditional gasoline-powered vehicles represented 43% of exports, an 11-point decrease from the previous year.
Top 10 Importers of Chinese NEVs in 2025
- Belgium – 284,921 units
- United Kingdom – 231,181 units
- Mexico – 221,027 units
- Brazil – 200,825 units
- Philippines – 200,544 units
- UAE – 191,946 units
- Thailand – 151,633 units
- Australia – 145,781 units
- Indonesia – 126,536 units
- India – 102,691 units
Market Trends and Pricing
China’s vehicle exports continue to show seasonal variation, with peaks in summer months. Strong growth at the start of 2025 was interrupted by U.S. tariffs from February through April, before recovering from May to November. December saw an additional push in used car exports. Meanwhile, the average export price fell to 16,000 USD per vehicle in 2025, down from 18,000 USD in 2024 and 19,000 USD in 2023, reflecting a reduced share of higher-priced models.
Source: CarNewsChina
