China exported 1m vehicles in a calendar year for the first time ever in 2012.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said shipments rose 30% to 1.06m units last year while domestic car sales increased 4%. Exports of passenger cars jumped 39% to 661,000 units, buses and trucks climbed 17% to 395,000 units.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Chery was the top exporter with exports totalling 184,800 units, up 16% from a year earlier. Next came Geely with 100,800 units, followed by Great Wall, 96,500. Algeria was the biggest buyer, followed by Russia, Iraq, Iran and Chile.

China’s car exports are growing at the fastest rate in the world. The country has achieved the 1m milestone just 11 years after it began exporting cars. Korea achieved the feat in 1995, 19 years after Hyundai Motor first sold its Pony model in Latin America.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact