China's domestic auto sales fall in July, its exports jump about 20%

BANGKOK - Auto sales in China faltered in July, falling 5% from a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Friday, although exports jumped about 20% as makers of electric vehicles expanded into global markets. Sales of passenger cars totaled about 2 million units, with about 1.6 million sold inside China, a year-on-year decline of 10%. Total exports of passenger vehicles jumped more than 20% to 399,000 units. Chinese automakers have ramped up exports of vehicles as demand has lagged in their home market and the U.S. and European Union have raised tariffs on the grounds that government subsidies offered by Beijing give automakers in China an unfair advantage. While overall car sales have remained lackluster, sales of EVs rose nearly 30% in July from the year before to about 991,000. The share of auto sales held by Chinese automakers has been growing quickly and stood at two-thirds of all vehicle sales in July, as sales of their vehicles rose 10%, the report said. China's Chery Automobile, SAIC Motor and Geely Auto Group still export more vehicles, most of them conventional fuel engine models, than EV makers like BYD and Tesla. The lion's share of China's auto exports this year went to Russia, the report said, citing customs figures.