Cui Dongshu: China's auto imports in August were 23,000 units, down 51% year-on-year.

Zhitong Finance APP has learned that Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, wrote that in August 2026, imported car imports were 23,000 units, down 51% year-on-year and down 48% month-on-month, an alarming decline. From January to August 2026, imported automobiles totaled 270,000 units, down 17% year-on-year. From January to August 2026, imported sedans accounted for 49% of imported passenger cars, but in August the import share fell to 38%; imported small passenger vehicles with fewer than 9 seats performed relatively well, accounting for 24% from January to August 2026; this year, imported four-wheel-drive SUVs accounted for 25% of imports, and in August their share rebounded to 46% of imported passenger cars. From January to August 2026, imported hybrid vehicles performed very well with an 8% increase, while pure electric passenger cars fell 37% and plug-in hybrids fell 62%, indicating that imported new energy passenger vehicles performed weakly.