China imported 139,900 sedans in 2007, up 25.13 percent over the
previous year, with the largest share of 46 percent, or 63,800
units, coming from Germany, China Customs figures revealed.
The sedan imports worth 5.01 billion U.S. dollars, up 25.41
percent from the previous year, took up 45 percent of China's total
automobile imports which has slightly overshot the previous year's
total to stand around 310,889 units.
China Trading Center for Automobile Import predicted late
January that tariff reduction since July 1 had given a stimulus to
China's consumption of overseas made automobiles, which could reach
300,000 in 2007.
China customs figures showed about 79 percent of the imports
were vehicles with an engine size of or larger than 2.5 liters.
Japan exported 29,700 sedans to China, the second largest total,
while the United States ranked third with 18,000 units.
China's sedan exports, by contrast, more than doubled
year-on-year to 188,600 units in 2007.
Chery, the flag-bearer of Chinese brands, saw a 132-percent
surge in exports in 2007, to 119,800 units. The carmaker, which has
accelerated its expansion overseas in recent years, expected to
export 180,000 units this year.
Chang'an Automotive Group, China's fourth largest automaker,
sold more than 40,000 cars overseas last year, against 21,700 in
2006.
China, the world's third largest vehicle producer, after Japan
and United States, found its auto output grow 22.9 percent to 9.04
million units last year, according to figures with the National
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top
economic planner.
The NDRC deputy economic performance department director Zhu
Hongren said, since quantity was not a problem anymore, auto
producers should increase their focus on quality.
In 2006, China overtook Japan to become the world's second
largest car market next only to the United States, with sales of
7.2 million units, up 25.13 percent year-on-year.
Compared with their international counterparts, China's auto
makers are still small in terms of production scale and behind in
technology. In addition, the country's auto boom has created
growing problems, such as increasing traffic jams and
pollution.
(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2008)
