According to figures from the China Passenger Car Association based on OICA data, China’s vehicle exports reached 5.31m units in the first half of 2026, up 53 per cent year on year, with June alone at 1.07m units, up 73 per cent and 8 per cent month on month. The export momentum is broadening, not just strengthening.
The global ranking
Toyota holds the top spot with an 11 per cent share, Volkswagen is second at 8.1 per cent, Hyundai-Kia third at 7.6 per cent, Stellantis fourth at 6.0 per cent and the Renault-Nissan alliance fifth at 5.4 per cent. BYD ranks sixth at 4.8 per cent, Geely seventh at 4.6 per cent, and Chery ties Ford for ninth at 4.1 per cent. This is not the first time three Chinese brands have made the global top ten: in the 2025 list, BYD, SAIC and Geely all appeared. For two years running, three Chinese nameplates have held top-ten spots, which signals that going global is now a trend rather than a spike.
BYD’s engine is overseas
BYD’s July output reached 419,000 units, up 21.8 per cent year on year, making it China’s sales champion and extending its run as the country’s NEV monthly leader to 62 straight months. Overseas demand is the growth source: passenger and pickup exports of nearly 180,000 units were up 124.3 per cent year on year, a record high, and the first seven months of overseas sales reached 969,000, a step away from 1m. Industry analysts say three brands simultaneously entering the global top ten marks a milestone in the scaled and globalised development of China’s auto industry.
Read the original report (Shenzhen News Network)
Translated and adapted from Shenzhen News Network (sznews.com).