China's auto exports have declined for 12 consecutive months since August last year because of a big contraction in the international auto market due to the financial crisis.

Starting from the second half of last year, China's foreign trade experienced a sharp decline, with auto exports from January to July plunging 56.9 percent to 191,000 units, compared to the same period last year, said Commerce Ministry official Zhou Ruojun Tuesday.

China's January-August exports this year were also down 22.2 percent to 730.74 billion U.S. dollars.

Zhou said China's auto exports were facing an increasingly tougher situation as there was an apparent rise of protectionism in international trade during the period.

But there were also quality and after-sale service problems frequently found in China-made autos in overseas markets, said Zhao Hang, President of China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATRC).

He said one important reason was domestic auto exporters lacked knowledge about overseas demand, government policies, regulations, and certification.

To help auto makers gain correct information about major overseas auto markets, the CATRC launched a training session in Beijing Tuesday attended by 12 domestic auto and parts makers.

(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2009)