A Chinese car group says China likely overtook Japan as the world’s biggest auto exporter in 2023. The Chinese Passenger Car Association (CPCA) says automakers like BYD Auto, Chery and others are seeing increased sales overseas. The CPCA announced that exports of Chinese cars jumped 62 percent to a record 3.83 million vehicles. Japanese customs data showed car exports at 3.5 million for the first 11 months of the year, not including used vehicles. China’s total auto exports were estimated to hit 5.26 million units last year. Japan’s full-year exports were predicted at 4.3 million units, the CPCA found. China’s rise as a top auto exporter is due in part to the strength of its electric vehicle (EV) automakers. BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s top seller of EVs late last year. Most of the sales were within China, however. Some governments are concerned about Chinese auto exports affecting sales of their own automakers.
